Kaibab National Forest plans pile burns on North Kaibab Ranger District
Incident: North Kaibab Ranger District Rx Prescribed Fire
Released: 1/10/2017
Fredonia, Ariz., Jan. 10, 2017—For Immediate Release. Pending favorable weather conditions, North Zone fire managers plan to burn approximately 75 acres of hand piles near the Arizona Department of Transportation Maintenance Yard north of Highway 89A approximately 1.5 miles north of the Jacob Lake Lodge on the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest as early as tomorrow.
Earlier today, firefighters determined that snowpack in the area is favorable for pile burning operations. The piles are exposed and the surface fuels are covered in snow; therefore, no fire spread beyond the piles is expected. Forecasted southwesterly winds are expected to disperse smoke away from Highway 89A, and fire managers expect the piles to consume quickly.
As winter weather conditions allow over the next few weeks, fire managers will continue to seek opportunities to burn additional piles within the vicinity of Jacob Lake. Currently, there are nearly 1,000 acres of hand piles near Jacob Lake that are anticipated to be ready for treatment. The attached map depicts these planned pile burn areas around Jacob Lake.
General Information
Implementation of any particular prescribed fire, including a pile burn, is dependent on weather and fuel conditions including winds, temperature, humidity, moisture of the vegetation and ventilation conditions for dispersal of smoke. All prescribed fires are subject to approval by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. For additional information on the Smoke Management Division and to view prescribed burn authorizations for any given day, visit http://www.azdeq.gov/programs/air-quality-programs/smoke-management.
In the interest of safety, visitors are always reminded to use caution when traveling in the vicinity of prescribed fires, as firefighters, fire-related traffic and smoke may all be present. Notifications of upcoming prescribed fires are provided regularly throughout the year and through the following sources:
Fire Information Recorded Hotline: 928-635-8311
Twitter: www.twitter.com/KaibabNF (Text ‘follow kaibabnf’ to 40404 to receive text messages.)
Kaibab website “Recent News”: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab
Kaibab Facebook: www.facebook.com/KaibabNF
