News Release: Fire managers plan for second prescribed fire on Kaibab Plateau
May 21, 2016
Fredonia, Ariz., May 21, 2016 — For Immediate Release. With recent fuel moisture samples collected indicating that next week may be a good window of opportunity to conduct hazardous fuels treatments on the Kaibab Plateau, North Zone fire managers are planning to conduct a second prescribed burn – the Moquitch 4 unit – in addition to the Bridge unit prescribed fire announced earlier this week, if conditions remain favorable and safe to do so.
“Currently, precipitation trends across the North Zone indicate that we are at 153 percent of average for the year,” said North Zone Fire Management Officer Ed Hiatt. “Conditions are optimal to meeting our objectives, protecting our forest visitors, firefighters, and neighboring community, and seizing the opportunity to further reduce accumulated fuels so they don’t later contribute to more intense fire behavior under hotter and drier conditions.”
The 1,104-acre unit is within the Moquitch Wildlife Habitat Improvement Project area, east of Forest Service Road (FSR) 282, south of FSR 260, west of Warm Springs Canyon to FSR 217, and north of FSR 212 back to FSR 282.
“Last year, we successfully treated 190 acres within this unit. Next week we hope to target the remaining 914 acres,” said Hiatt.
Smoke could potentially be visible from Mile-and-a-Half Campground, Highways 67 and 89A, and the Jacob Lake Developed Area. Prescribed fire is a valuable land management tool. However, prescribed fire produces smoke. Typically, that smoke is short-lived and is managed to minimize impacts, unlike when a wildfire occurs. Prescribed fire and other fuels treatments help to reduce the severity of wildfires and minimize adverse smoke impacts on public health and safety. Fire fighters make every attempt to burn during times of the day when ventilation is optimal.
Prescribed fire signs will be placed several miles north and south of the burn on FSR 282, east and west on FSR 212, and signs will also be posted in any areas with temporary road closures. Additionally, fire vehicles will be in the area patrolling and monitoring the roads. Visitors are reminded to please drive carefully in the area, as visibility might be lowered due to smoke.
All prescribed burning on the Kaibab National Forest is subject to approval by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and appropriate weather conditions. For additional information on the Smoke Management Division of the ADEQ and to view prescribed burns authorized on any given day, please visit http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/air/smoke/index.html.
Information on current Kaibab National Forest wildfires and notifications of upcoming prescribed burns are provided through the following methods:
Fire Information Recorded Hotline: 928-635-8311
Twitter: www.twitter.com/KaibabNF (Text ‘follow kaibabnf’ to 40404 to receive text messages.)
Kaibab website “News & Events”: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab
