Emergency Information

A fuels reduction project in the Santa Rita Mountains will be conducted during the last two weeks of April.  The Nogales Ranger District, Coronado National Forest will implement prescribed burning on 250 acres in the vicinity of Gardner Canyon. The project area is approximately six miles northwest of Sonoita, Arizona along Santa Rita Road.

The purposes of the project are to reduce hazardous fuels and potential wildfire intensity in the wildland urban interface in the Sonoita, Gardner Canyon and Hog Canyon residential areas; to improve forest health by reducing canopy cover from encroaching woody species; to restore the native semi-desert grassland; to improve wildlife habitat and to restore fuel loading to a more natural level to aid in returning the forest area into a more fire-resistant and resilient state.

Fuels consist of oak, juniper, manzanita, grasses and leaf litter. Some wood has been cut and piled within the burn area. Broadcast burning and burning of the interior piles will be used to remove the excess vegetation from the landscape.

Signs indicating prescribed burning in the area will be placed on State Highway 83 and Santa Rita Road. Smoke is expected to dissipate to the north and east and should not impair visibility.

While no closures will be put into place, traffic on Santa Rita Road will be held for short periods of time to allow firefighters and equipment to move freely during ignitions.

Partners on the project include Green Valley Fire Department, Patagonia Fire Department, Rincon Fire Department, Rio Rico Fire Department and Sonoita Fire Department.

 

Contact: (520) 388-8343

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CoronadoNF 

Twitter: @Coronado_NF

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) is issuing a High Pollution Advisory (HPA) for course particulate matter (PM-10) effective April 10, 2019, in Maricopa County. PM-10 is made up of small particles found in dust. ADEQ recommends that people limit outdoor activity while the HPA is in effect, especially children and adults with respiratory problems.

Health Impacts

People most vulnerable to the impacts of air pollution include children, older adults, adults exercising outdoors and people with heart or lung disease and those suffering from asthma and bronchitis. Exposure can increase the number and severity of asthma attacks, cause or aggravate bronchitis or other lung disease and reduce the body’s ability to fight infection. Symptoms may include itchy eyes, nose, and throat, wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain and upper respiratory issues. Long-term exposure is linked to premature death in people with heart or lung disease, nonfatal heart attacks, irregular heartbeat and decreased lung function.

Check the Hourly Air Quality Forecast | View >

Please help reduce PM-10 by doing one or more of the following:

• Avoid dirt roads.
• Avoid the use of leaf blowers.
• Ride transit, carpool or telework.
• Eliminate all unnecessary driving and/or combine trips.
• Employers and Travel Reduction Program Transportation Coordinators should activate their HPA Plans immediately.

BACKGROUND

High Pollution Advisory (HPA) | Notifies the public that the level of an air pollutant is forecast to exceed the federal health standard.

Health Watch (HW) | Notifies the public that the level of an air pollutant is forecast to approach the federal health standard.

Particulate Matter Fact Sheet | View >

Ozone Fact Sheet | View >

 

FIND THE FORECAST

ADEQ Hourly Air Quality Forecast | View >

Text or Email Alerts | Subscribe > 

 

CONTACTS

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) | Provides hourly forecasts for air quality in certain areas of the state and issues HPAs or HWs when the appropriate conditions exist.

View Website >

Public Information Officer | 602-771-2215 (office) | 602-540-8072 (cell) | Email >

Maricopa County Air Quality Department (MCAQD) | Regulatory agency for air quality in Maricopa County.

View Website >

Bob Huhn, Public Information Officer | 602-506-6713 (office) | 602-526-7307 (cell) | Email >

Valley Metro | Eco-friendly public transit options to residents of greater Phoenix and Maricopa County.

View Website >

Corinne Holliday, Public Information Specialist | 602-322-4492 (office) | 623-293-0335 (cell) | Email >

   

Coconino National Forest firefighters are planning to take advantage of favorable weather conditions this week for prescribed burn operations, beginning as early as Tuesday.

This week’s broadcast prescribed burns will target up to 1,800 acres on the Red Rock Ranger District and an additional 300 acres of pile burns on the eastern side of the Mogollon Rim Ranger District. The increased wind speed is a benefit for these planned burns, which are a part of the 5-year plan to reduce hazardous fuels and improve forest health on the Coconino National Forest.

Red Rock Ranger District - Apache Maid Range Project

When: April 9 to 12 (Tuesday to Friday) beginning at approximately 9 a.m. 

Where: Two miles southwest of Stoneman Lake. Fire is being reintroduced into the grassland vegetation and to invigorate wildlife browsing. 

(34.767159, -111.550011)

Size: Approximately 1,800 acres.

Smoke Impacts: Good smoke ventilation will be to the northeast. Cooling temperatures in the evenings may cause smoke to settle in the Stoneman Lake area, Rarick Canyon and Beaver Creek. Motorists on Forest Road 213 (Stoneman Lake Rd.) will see smoke and will encounter fire vehicle along the roadway.

Mogollon Rim Ranger District - Bar T Bar Piles

When: April 10 and 11 (Wednesday and Thursday).

Where: Eleven miles southeast of Mormon Lake, in the Long Lake area (34.807472, -111.235136)

Size: Up to 300 acres of piles.

Smoke Impacts: Smoke is expected to travel northeast and should not impact any communities, draining into lower-lying areas overnight.

Prescribed burns are always dependent upon weather and wind conditions, as well as approval from Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ). The public can view approved prescribed burns on ADEQ’s website at smoke.azdeq.gov. Coconino National Forest burns begin with the designator “COF.”

Notifications of upcoming prescribed burns are provided regularly by news releases throughout the season and also by the following online resources:

• Coconino NF’s Inciweb page: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/
• Coconino NF’s Twitter account: www.twitter.com/CoconinoNF
• Coconino NF public website: www.coconinonationalforest.us
• Coconino NF’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/coconinonf
• Sign up to receive news releases from Coconino NF: www.fs.fed.us/news/subscription.shtml

 

The adage is true. One spark can start a wildfire – just like the Sawmill Fire in Southern Arizona.

And every year, people continue to be the number one cause of wildfires in the state.

With the abundance of winter moisture across Arizona, the Department of Forestry and Fire Management wants to remind people not to get complacent.

Sunday kicked off Southwest Wildfire Awareness Week with this year’s theme, ‘Prevention today for protection tomorrow.’

The goal of the week is to promote actions that prevent human-caused wildfires and reduce the risk of wildfire to homes and our Arizona communities. And prevention is key when it comes to wildfire risk reduction.

Homeowners can do simple tasks to keep wildfire threat low by creating defensible space around their property.

Drivers can help by ensuring tow chains are secure, never tossing cigarette butts out the window, and making sure the vehicle – and tires are in good condition before getting on the road.

To promote the week, DFFM will be focused on increased social media marketing and public service announcements.

The Arizona Department of Transportation will also put up messaging on their highway signs, including “Don’t Drag Chains, One Spark Can Start a Wildfire.”

Recently, DFFM released a mobile phone application as another tool to provide wildfire information, fire restriction details, and fire prevention tips. You can download the free app by searching the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management on the iTunes or Google Play stores.

This year, Southwest Wildfire Awareness Week runs April 7-13 and is a joint collaboration between DFFM, the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildfire Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and New Mexico State Forestry Division.

 

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Phoenix District will conduct a prescribed burn of cut and piled juniper within 120-acres of the Agua Fria National Monument, in the Sycamore Mesa area — approximately five miles northeast of Cordes Junction.  The burn is planned for one to three days between April 6 and 13.

The BLM will ignite the piles when the weather conditions are favorable.  Residents in the area should expect some light smoke to be visible during the burn operation.  Firefighters will remain on the scene to control the burning piles, as well as to monitor public and resource safety. No local road closures are expected.

By thinning and burning the juniper that has encroached into grasslands, wildlife corridors are opened, predator cover is reduced, and forage for wildlife improves.  It also serves to reduce wildfire intensity and spread to adjacent communities or sensitive ecosystems in the immediate area when a wildfire occurs in the area.

The BLM greatly appreciates the public’s cooperation in protecting public lands by helping prevent unwanted wildfires.  To report a wildfire call 911.

The Pinal County Office of Emergency Management and Pinal County Sheriff’s Office along with Country Thunder are teaming together to update concert-goers before, during and after the four-day event.

Anyone who texts CTAZ2019 to 888777 will automatically and anonymously “opt in” to receive notifications sent out by Pinal County public safety personnel.

A couple days leading up to the gates opening, messaging will be sent as needed but will be pertinent to travel and arrival at the venue and will not necessarily be emergency-type messaging. Once the gates open for the event, messaging will occur on an as needed basis, ensuring not to overwhelm the festival attendees with frivolous or impertinent information.

Such information that can be sent during this time are:

· Traffic around and leading up to the venue

· Significant weather leading up to the event

· Significant weather changes during the event

· Site map of the venue

· Line-up/Performance times

· Important Phone Numbers

· Public health messaging

· Preparedness messaging

· Lost/found children

· Lost/found pets

· Potential hazards in the local area

· Fire prevention

· Bee mitigation

The messages will come from the following sources: The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, Public Health, Air Quality, Public Works, Emergency Management, Florence Fire Department, American Medical Response, Pinal County PIO and/or Country Thunder.

It is important to note that this will not spam subscribers with marketing and sales messages. That is not what we set the system up to be used for.

Again, text CTAZ2019 to 888777. We want everyone to have a great time at Country Thunder 2019, but we also want everyone to stay safe!

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) is issuing a Health Watch (HW) for ozone effective March 30 & 31, 2019, in Maricopa County. ADEQ recommends that people limit outdoor activity while the HW is in effect, especially children and adults with respiratory problems.

Ground level ozone forms when two types of pollutants—volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) and nitrous oxides (NOx)—react in sunlight. These pollutants come primarily from automobiles, but also from other sources including industries, power plants and products such as solvents and paints. Generally, the highest levels of ozone occur in the afternoon.

Check the Hourly Air Quality Forecast | View >

Health Impacts

People most vulnerable to the impacts of air pollution include children, older adults, adults exercising outdoors, people with heart or lung disease and those suffering from asthma and bronchitis. Exposure can increase the number and severity of asthma attacks, cause or aggravate bronchitis or other lung disease and reduce the body’s ability to fight infection. Symptoms may include itchy eyes, nose, and throat, wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain and upper respiratory issues.

Please help reduce ozone by doing one or more of the following:

• Drive as little as possible, carpool, use public transit or telecommute
• Re-fuel your vehicle in the evening
• Avoid waiting in long drive-thru lines, for example, at coffee shops, fast-food restaurants or banks – park your car and go inside
• Use low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) or water-based paints, stains, finishes and paint strippers – delay big painting projects
• Make sure containers of household cleaners, garage and yard chemicals and other solvents are sealed properly to prevent vapors from evaporating into the air

BACKGROUND

High Pollution Advisory (HPA) | Notifies the public that the level of an air pollutant is forecast to exceed the federal health standard.

Health Watch (HW) | Notifies the public that the level of an air pollutant is forecast to approach the federal health standard.

Particulate Matter Fact Sheet | View >

Ozone Fact Sheet | View >

FIND THE FORECAST

ADEQ Hourly Air Quality Forecast | View >

Text or Email Alerts | Subscribe > 

Clean Air, Make More Mobile App

iOS >

Google Play >

 

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) is issuing a Health Watch (HW) for ozone effective March 25 & 26, 2019 in Maricopa County. ADEQ recommends that people limit outdoor activity while the HW is in effect, especially children and adults with respiratory problems.

Health Impacts

People most vulnerable to the impacts of air pollution include children, older adults, adults exercising outdoors, people with heart or lung disease and those suffering from asthma and bronchitis. Exposure can increase the number and severity of asthma attacks, cause or aggravate bronchitis or other lung disease and reduce the body’s ability to fight infection. Symptoms may include itchy eyes, nose, and throat, wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain and upper respiratory issues.

Please help reduce ozone by doing one or more of the following:

• Drive as little as possible, carpool, use public transit or telecommute
• Re-fuel your vehicle in the evening
• Avoid waiting in long drive-thru lines, for example, at coffee shops, fast-food restaurants or banks – park your car and go inside
• Use low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) or water-based paints, stains, finishes and paint strippers – delay big painting projects
• Make sure containers of household cleaners, garage and yard chemicals and other solvents are sealed properly to prevent vapors from evaporating into the air

CONTACT

ADEQ Public Information Officer | 602-771-2215 (office) | 602-540-8072 (cell) | E- mail > [email protected]

 

BACKGROUND

High Pollution Advisory (HPA) | Notifies the public that the level of an air pollutant is forecast to exceed the federal health standard.

Health Watch (HW) | Notifies the public that the level of an air pollutant is forecast to approach the federal health standard.

Particulate Matter Fact Sheet | View >

Ozone Fact Sheet | View >

FIND THE FORECAST

 

ADEQ Air Quality Hourly Forecast | View >

Text or E-mail Alerts | Subscribe > 

Clean Air, Make More Mobile App

iOS >

Google Play >

Potential road closures or delays along E. Montezuma Canyon Road

The National Park Service plans to conduct a prescribed burn at Coronado National Memorial on Tuesday, March 26th, if environmental factors such as wind, temperature, and relative humidity are favorable.

The 20 acre prescribed burn is located between the Memorial Visitor Center and the picnic area. It includes two separate units along E. Montezuma Canyon Road. Ignitions may take place over one to two days. Smoke may be visible from Palominas, Hereford and Sierra Vista.

The Memorial Visitor Center will remain open during the prescribed burn, however visitors may experience brief periods of low to moderate intensity smoke. In order to ensure public and firefighter safety, fire managers may implement temporary closures or delays along E. Montezuma Canyon Road within the boundaries of the Memorial. Additionally, the memorial picnic area and Joe’s Canyon Trail will be closed through the duration of the prescribed burn from the Memorial Visitor Center to the Yaqui Ridge Trail. The shuttle from the Memorial Visitor Center to Montezuma Pass Overlook is not expected to be impacted, (Thursday – Sunday) but shuttle users should contact the visitor center for more information.

The Headquarters Prescribed Burn will be implemented under the Huachuca FireScape Project environmental analysis, a multi-agency collaborative analysis to integrate fire and fuels management activities of three Federal agencies (Forest Service; National Park Service; Department of Defense) across approximately 400,000 acres.

The purposes of the Huachuca FireScape Project are to reduce the costs, resource damage, and threats to public and firefighter safety from future wildland fires; restore and sustain ecological processes in fire-dependent ecosystems; create and maintain fuel conditions that produce manageable fire behavior and intensity; and encourage the restoration of vegetation and fuel conditions toward their historic conditions and ecological resiliency.

For more information about events at Coronado National Memorial, please contact the visitor center at 520-366-5155, ext. 0, visit the park website at www.nps.gov/coro, or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/coronadonationalmemorial.

Contact: Michelle Fidler (520) 400-2932 or Jason Thivener (520) 405-4597

The National Park Service will burn piles of woody debris at Tuzigoot National Monument and Montezuma Well. The burn date is scheduled for March 20th, 2019 and will be dependent on weather.  The piles of debris consist of invasive plants removed from Tavasci Marsh at Tuzigoot and the pasture trails from Montezuma Well. 



Fire managers will take advantage of existing clearings to minimize the chance of fire spread and potential spotting from the piles. The piles will be ignited by firefighters and monitored until the piles are completely out.



Monument visitors may see or smell smoke in the vicinity of the piles.  Signs will be posted advising visitors of possible smoke along potentially impacted trails in the area.



For more information on this debris burning project, please contact Tina Greenawalt, Chief of Natural Resources at 928-649-6195.



Montezuma Well is located at 5525 Beaver Creek Road, Rimrock, AZ 86335. For additional information, call 928-567-3322 x 221 or visit www.nps.gov/moca.



Tuzigoot National Monument is located at 25 Tuzigoot Road, Clarkdale, AZ. For additional information, call 928-634-5564 or visit www.nps.gov/tuzi.

The National Park Service plans to conduct a prescribed burn at Coronado National Memorial in mid to late March or early April 2019, when environmental factors such as wind, temperature, and relative humidity are favorable.

The 20 acre prescribed burn is located between the Memorial Visitor Center and the picnic area. It includes two separate units along E. Montezuma Canyon Road. Ignitions may take place over one to two days. Smoke may be visible from Palominas, Hereford and Sierra Vista. 

In order to ensure public and firefighter safety, fire managers may implement temporary closures or delays along E. Montezuma Canyon Road within the boundaries of the Memorial.  Additionally, the memorial picnic area and Joe’s Canyon Trail will be closed through the duration of the prescribed burn from the Memorial Visitor Center to the Yaqui Ridge Trail. The shuttle from the Memorial Visitor Center to Montezuma Pass Overlook may be cancelled for one to two days during and immediately following the prescribed burn.

The Headquarters Prescribed Burn will be implemented under the Huachuca FireScape Project environmental analysis, a multi-agency collaborative analysis to integrate fire and fuels management activities of three Federal agencies (Forest Service; National Park Service; Department of Defense) across approximately 400,000 acres. 

The purposes of the Huachuca FireScape Project are to reduce the costs, resource damage, and threats to public and firefighter safety from future wildland fires; restore and sustain ecological processes in fire-dependent ecosystems; create and maintain fuel conditions that produce manageable fire behavior and intensity; and encourage the restoration of vegetation and fuel conditions toward their historic conditions and ecological resiliency. 

For more information about events at Coronado National Memorial, please contact the visitor center at 520-366-5515 ext. 0, visit the park website at www.nps.gov/coro or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/coronadonationalmemorial.

The public is invited to attend an Open House to tour the County’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The meeting will be from at 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturday, March 23 at the Gemini EOC, 2201 N. Gemini Rd. Flagstaff, Ariz.

The EOC  is a function of County government to coordinate and respond to disaster events. The Open House will be an opportunity for the community to tour the EOC, learn about radio communications, ask questions and meet disaster emergency responders.

WHAT:  EOC Open House

WHEN: 10 a.m. Saturday, Mar. 23, 2019 

WHERE: 2201 N. Gemini Rd. Flagstaff, Ariz.

WHO: Anyone can attend

See for a http://coconino.az.gov/DocumentCenter/View/27871/EOC-Open-House-Flyer Flyer for the Event.

The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) and the Pima County Public Health Department announced today that a 12-month-old infant from Pima County has been diagnosed with measles. The confirmed case is in a person with Asia-related travel. The Pima County Public Health Department and ADHS are currently investigating to learn if there was any community exposure to the disease.  

“We are working with our healthcare and public health partners to make sure we quickly identify any possible exposures to the community that may have occurred,” said Marcy Flanagan, Director of the Pima County Health Department. “As more and more cities and counties across the United States experience cases of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, we are working hard to prevent that from happening in Pima County.”

Measles spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Measles symptoms appear seven to 12 days after exposure but may take up to 21 days to appear. It begins with a fever (101 F or higher), red, watery eyes, cough and runny nose and is followed by a rash that is red, raised, and blotchy. The rash begins on the face at the hairline and moves down the body and may last five to six days.

“We know that infectious diseases are just a plane ride away,” Dr. Cara Christ, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services. “Measles is a serious and highly contagious disease that can spread quickly. We recommend that everyone is vaccinated against measles to help keep our communities safe." 

Measles can be prevented with the MMR vaccine. The vaccine protects against three diseases: measles, mumps and rubella. The CDC recommends children get two doses of MMR vaccine, starting with the first dose at 12 through 15 months of age and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age. Teens and adults should also be up to date on their MMR vaccination. The MMR vaccine is very safe and effective.

You are immune to measles if you have received two doses of the MMR vaccines or were born before 1957 and have received one MMR vaccine. Health care providers are required to report suspect cases of measles to their local health department.

What to do if you think you have measles:

• If you have a healthcare provider, contact him/her by phone and let them know that you may have been exposed to measles. They will let you know when to visit their office so as not to expose others in the waiting area.
• If you do not have a health care provider, you may need to be seen at your local hospital emergency room/urgent care center. Please call before going to let them know you may have measles.

For information about measles, visit the Arizona Department of Health Services’ website at azhealth.gov/measles.  

Fire specialists from the Tonto National Forest plan to burn 40 acres of vegetative debris piles on Thursday, March 7. This one-day prescribed fire treatment will occur north of Payson along the south side of the Beaver Valley area.

Residents and visitors can expect to see and smell moderate amounts of smoke during the treatment. Smoke will impact Beaver Valley Estates, Houston Mesa Road, Cold Springs, Whispering Pines, and Bonita Creek Estates during the day. In the evening, smoke will affect Beaver Valley, Flowing Springs and East Verde Estates. Smoke may linger in these areas through Saturday, March 9.

Signs will be posted on roads that are likely to be affected by smoke. Forest officials urge motorists to use caution and slow down while driving through these areas for the safety of firefighters and the public.

To minimize the impact of smoke, fire specialists will end ignitions by 3 p.m.

Prescribed fire treatments are conducted within a “prescription” that is determined by appropriate fuel moisture, temperature, humidity, wind, and ventilation. The purpose of this fuels reduction work is to lower the threat of high-severity, high-intensity wildfire to the public, adjacent private property and natural resources in the Wildland Urban Interface area surrounding communities.

Please check InciWeb for updates and maps: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5925/

 

Contact: Carrie Templin (602) 225-5290

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @TontoForest

 

The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management announces the release of a new mobile phone application that provides local fire and forestry information to the user.

The application offers wildland fire information, fire restriction notifications and details, fire prevention tips, Office of the State Fire Marshal’s plans and payment portal, and forest health related information.

It also allows users to sign up for push alerts that will send notifications of any critical information, such as fires near their area, fire restrictions, even forest health concerns.

Users can also connect to the agency’s social media pages, get questions answered, and submit anonymous tips, photos, and other information.

“The Department of Forestry and Fire Management is excited to be able to use this technology to better serve our residents. The mobile application offers another outlet for pertinent, often times, urgent information and connects users to real-time information at their fingertips,” said Public Affairs Officer Tiffany Davila.

The free mobile application can be found for IOS users on iTunes and Google Play for Android users and by searching Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management. For more information, contact Tiffany Davila at 602-540-1036 or by email at [email protected]. 

Arizona State Forestry Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arizonastateforestry/

Arizona State Forestry Twitter: https://twitter.com/azstateforestry

Fire managers for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Arizona Strip District are planning to burn slash debris piles located 65 miles south of St. George, Utah near Mt. Trumbull. Depending upon conditions, the burns will begin early March 2019 and last through mid-April 2019 if weather and fuel conditions allow.  The burns are intended to decrease future wildfire risk and protect cultural and natural resources.

Prescribed burns must meet strict weather-related and environmental factors prior to ignition.  BLM Arizona Strip fire staff will monitor on-site weather and fuel conditions and manage prescribed fire activity, before, during and after ignition operations. Smoke may be present during the length of the project in this remote area.  Smoke emissions will be managed in accordance with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality regulations.

There are no closures anticipated but public access may be restricted during ignition and periods of active fire spread to ensure public safety.  Signs will be posted to notify the public. Please use caution when traveling in the area of the fire.

Contact: Rachel T. Carnahan 435-688-3303 or [email protected]

 

The Safford Ranger District of the Coronado National Forest expects to conduct the Fourmile Prescribed Fire as early as March 1, 2019. The project area consists of National Forest System lands in the northwest portion of the Galiuro Mountains in southeastern Arizona, and is included in the Forest’s Galiuro FireScape Project.

The project boundaries lie between Rattlesnake Creek on the east and the Forest Boundary on the west and contains portions of the Fourmile, Rattlesnake and Pipestem drainages, including both wilderness and non-wilderness lands in rugged terrain.

Approximately 11,500 acres are planned for the project. Burning may continue for several days or be intermittent, with ignitions occurring as fuel and weather conditions become suitable during March and early April.

Fire has played an important ecological role in the history of the grassland and woodland ecosystems of southeastern Arizona. Regular intervals of naturally-occurring fire restricted the growth of shrubs in grasslands, thinned forests of fire-intolerant trees, increased stream flows, and renewed wildlife habitat. A decrease in the frequency of natural fire has resulted in areas of dense, overgrown vegetation and the accumulation of fuel available for wildfires.

The project is designed to reduce the accumulation of hazardous fuels, improve range and watershed conditions, improve wildlife habitat, return the ecosystem to a more fire-resilient state, and reduce the likelihood of future high-intensity wildfires within the project area. By reducing the probability of extreme fire behavior in future wildland fires, the intent is to subsequently reduce threats to firefighter and public safety as well as reduce costs and natural resource damage due to wildfires.

Smoke will be visible periodically from Sulphur Springs Valley and Bonita, Willcox, Benson, San Manuel, Oracle, Klondyke and the surrounding areas for the duration of the project. Temporary road and trail closures will go into effect as prescribed fire activities progress. Closure orders will be posted as appropriate.

Partners include Arizona Game and Fish Department, Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, Bureau of Land Management and The Nature Conservancy.

 

Contact: (520) 388-8343

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CoronadoNF

Twitter: @Coronado_NF

Potential road closure on Forest Road 61

Coronado National Forest, Sierra Vista Ranger District will conduct a prescribed burn in coordination with the National Park Service, Coronado National Memorial.    

The Border I Prescribed Burn is scheduled to occur in early to mid-March, 2019 depending on weather conditions.  The 1,160 acre burn is located on the west side of the Huachuca Mountains, adjacent to Montezuma Pass. The burn unit will encompass Forest Service and National Park Service managed lands from Forest Road 61 west to Copper Canyon and south to the Border Road. 

In order to ensure public and firefighter safety, Montezuma Pass Overlook will be closed during burning operations.  Additionally, Forest Road 61 may be closed during active ignitions for public safety.  Smoke from the burn will occur during operations, and is anticipated to be sporadic for a few days following the burn. 

The Border I Prescribed Burn will directly benefit the ranger district and Coronado National Memorial by addressing the purposes of the Huachuca FireScape Project environmental analysis, a multi-agency collaborative analysis to integrate the fire and fuels management activities of three Federal agencies (Forest Service; National Park Service; Department of Defense) across approximately 400,000 acres. 

The purposes of the Huachuca FireScape Project are to reduce the costs, resource damage, and threats to public and firefighter safety from future wildland fires; restore and sustain ecological processes in fire-dependent ecosystems; create and maintain fuel conditions that produce manageable fire behavior and intensity; and encourage the restoration of vegetation and fuel conditions toward their historic conditions and ecological resiliency. 

For more information contact the Sierra Vista Ranger District located at 4070 S. Avenida Saracino in Hereford, Arizona.  The office can be reached by calling (520) 378-0311.  Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

 

The American Red Cross has closed all SOUTHERN Arizona shelters. There are still open Red Cross shelters at  PAYSON HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASIUM, 301 South McClane, in Payson  and  PINE FIRE STATION #41, 6198 W. Hardscrabble Mesa Rd in Pine.

Cochise County does have warming centers (non-Red Cross) open at St. Andrew’s Church in Sierra Vista and at the Douglas Fire Station.

We will continue to assess community's needs, as we work closely with our emergency Management partners.  Communities can continue to check our social media accounts and http://redcross.org/shelters  for any shelter updates.

 

While there’s plenty of snow in the high country thanks to this week’s powerful storm, drivers should resist the temptation to park along state highways to play in it, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety and Arizona Department of Transportation.

Highway shoulders are for emergencies only. By law, you must exit highways and park in designated areas beyond the highway right of way before building that snowman.

The reasons come down to safety: Other drivers may be distracted by your vehicle; other drivers may pull over as well to play in the snow, compounding the problem; your vehicle may interfere with first responders who need to use the shoulder; ADOT snowplows hurl snow and ice far off highways; and it’s far safer for you and other drivers if you re-enter highways from on-ramps and other designated entrances.

Then there’s the obvious danger of parking and playing near fast-moving traffic that's using what could be a still-icy road.

AZDPS troopers and other law enforcement officers can cite motorists for parking on a controlled-access highway in violation of state laws. Violators can face expensive fines.

Safety in the high country extends beyond where you park to how you get ready for the trip.

Leave prepared for the possibility you’ll be delayed by slowing and even closures caused by heavy traffic, weather and crashes by packing an emergency kit that includes, at a minimum, blankets, extra food and water, necessary medications and sand or cat litter for traction. Also have a fully charged cellphone and make sure your gas tank at least half to three-quarters full at all times.

Dress for winter weather, including a heavy coat, gloves, a scarf and a cap.

ADOT has more safety tips at azdot.gov/KnowSnow.

Those heading to popular snow-play sites should prepare for heavy traffic and may want to consider making an earlier start home, as traffic back tends to build as the day goes on.

In addition to not parking along highway shoulders to play in the snow, those who head to US 180 northwest of Flagstaff should be prepared for heavy traffic toward Flagstaff at day’s end. While it won’t save time back to Flagstaff, drivers heading south can reach Interstate 17 faster by following a marked alternate route to Interstate 40 at Butler Avenue, via Switzer Canyon Road and Route 66, and then heading west to I-17.

Information on designated snow-play areas around Flagstaff is available at FlagstaffArizona.org (follow the Winter Recreation link) or by calling 1.844.256.SNOW.

For the latest highway conditions around the state, visit ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov or call 511. ADOT’s accounts on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) and Facebook (facebook.com/AZDOT) are sources of information and interaction.