Arizona Forestry Conducting Two Prescribed Fire Projects Next Week in Coconino County
Flagstaff, AZ (4/18/2024) – Next week, the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM) plans to implement two prescribed fire projects located east and northeast of Flagstaff. On Monday, April 22, DFFM begins the Walnut RX Fire then on Tuesday, April 23, the agency begins the Turkey Hills RX Fire. Project managers expect both broadcast burns to take one day to complete, dependent on favorable and safe weather conditions.
Walnut RX Fire:
The 200-acre Walnut RX project is located on State Trust lands approximately eight miles east of Flagstaff and one mile south of Interstate 40. Walnut is a continuation of a project DFFM started in October. At that time, crews were able to complete 250 acres of the total 450-acre project, but inclement weather and other factors required burn managers to stop the second day of firing until more advantageous weather conditions prevailed. Predicted winds out of the southwest may push smoke off the Walnut RX Fire to the northeast with potential impacts to Interstate 40 and nearby communities. Overnight, smoke may settle into the Walnut Canyon National Monument and drainages near the project work.
Turkey Hills RX Fire:
The 150-acre Turkey Hills RX Fire is also located on State Trust lands north of Interstate 40, 11 miles northeast of Flagstaff, and approximately four miles south of Doney Park. Winds may push smoke off the project to the northeast with minimal impacts to Interstate 40 and nearby communities.
Both projects consist of Ponderosa Pine and fine fuel components. The main goal for these two projects includes, reducing hazardous vegetation around infrastructure and private lands. Broadcast burning reduces the threat of wildfires, improves the health of Arizona’s forests and safeguards critical infrastructure like the state’s watersheds. Prescribed fire managers strategically plan projects in higher risk areas where forest fuels continue to accumulate and therefore pose a greater danger of producing extreme fire behavior.
All prescribed fire operations must have prior approval from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. Unfavorable weather can also delay or cancel burns out of public and firefighter safety. Once ignitions begin, notifications will be made on DFFM’s Facebook and X pages and through the agency’s mobile phone application. That app can be downloaded at https://www.apexmobile.net/app/azdffm/. For more information, contact Tiffany Davila at 602-540-1036 or by email at [email protected]
