Fire managers are planning several prescribed burn projects this week across Coconino National Forest that will produce visible smoke around Flagstaff and Stoneman Lake beginning as early as today.
These prescribed burns are conducted in order to help protect communities from severe wildfires by reducing forest fuel accumulation in strategic areas around northern Arizona communities, and also reintroduce fire into the Ponderosa pine ecosystem for restoration purposes. All of the listed projects may not be pursued, as all prescribed burns are dependent upon weather and wind conditions, which can differ drastically across the forest. So all or some of them could be cancelled if conditions are not suitable.
UPPER BEAVER CREEK PROJECT (Stoneman Lake area)
When: Planned ignition will be Wednesday (April 12) as weather and conditions allow. Ignitions typically begin between 9-10 a.m. and duration is expected to be one day.
Where: Approximately 14 miles east of the Village of Oak Creek and three miles south of Stoneman Lake. Size: 400 acres.
Closures/Restrictions: None. Smoke Impacts: Smoke may impact Stoneman Lake and Mormon Lake communities to the north, and the Discovery Channel Telescope to the east. Cooling temperatures in the evenings may cause smoke to settle and drain down nearby canyons, potentially impacting the Verde Valley and the Village of Oak Creek.
LAKE MARY PROJECT
When: Planned ignition will be Wednesday (April 12) as weather and conditions allow. Duration is expected to be one to two days. Where: Approximately six miles southeast of Flagstaff near Lower Lake Mary Picnic Area.
Size: 600 acres. Closures/Restrictions: None.
Smoke Impacts: Smoke is predicted to move toward the northeast and may impact Walnut Canyon and Lake Mary Road.
The public and media can get quick notification of when a prescribed burn or any other activity is happening on the Coconino National Forest by following us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CoconinoNF. When ignition of a prescribed burn begins, we update our Twitter account so the public can know why smoke is in the air and where it is coming from.