Arizona Emergency Information Network
Prescribed burns planned around Flagstaff January 28-31, 2025
Area fire managers plan to continue work on local prescribed fire projects – including broadcast burning and pile burning – next week while northern Arizona’s wind and weather conditions remain favorable to do so.
Arizona State Department of Forestry and Fire Management and Coconino National Forest fire managers aspire to continue work on this week’s Crater Sinks prescribed burn project located roughly 12 miles southwest of Flagstaff.
Additionally, Coconino National Forest fire managers hope to begin work on pile burns located in various locations around the Flagstaff Ranger District.
Should wind and weather conditions become unfavorable, ignitions will be halted and project plans will be postponed, changed or canceled.
The Coconino National Forest uses the Coconino NF Prescribed Burn Projects InciWeb page to relay last-minute project changes with the public.
Prescribed burns are always dependent upon multiple conditions, including personnel availability, fuel conditions, weather and approval from the Arizona Department of Environment Quality. Prescribed burns may be changed or canceled last-minute if burn conditions do not meet criteria outlined in advance.
Crater Sinks (West Fork)
- Dates: Jan. 28-31
- Location: 8 miles west of Kachina Village, roughly 12 miles southwest of Flagstaff.
- Size: Roughly 1,055 acres total in addition to the 1,700 acres treated this week.
- Type of Burn: Broadcast maintenance burn. Broadcast burning means firefighters will spread the fire across the landscape using drip torches, effectively 'broadcasting' the fire with low intensity across the landscape. Maintenance burns usually mean wildfire has recently been through the area, which tends to mean less smoke since forest fuels will not be as thick or built up over time.
- Smoke Impacts: Smoke will likely be noticeable from Flagstaff, Sedona, Oak Creek and Verde Valley areas. There may potentially be smoke impacts to state Route 89A, Interstate 17 and Interstate 40.
- Why: This prescribed burn will reduce hazardous fuels in the area. By reducing hazardous fuels, such as pine litter and dried needlecast, during times of cooler weather and lower winds, fire managers can create a buffer zone to safeguard communities and infrastructure from the risk of catastrophic wildfire during peak wildfire season.
- Notes: No formal closure orders will be issued, but members of the public are asked to avoid the fire area.
Flagstaff Ranger District pile burns
Coconino National Forest fire managers plan to begin pile burns as soon as weather conditions are suitable.
While fire managers will not conduct work on the following project all at once, fire managers will begin work next week on the following projects as conditions allow.
Upcoming pile burn work is planned early next week for the following locations:
- Willard Pit (Near the junction of Interstate 17 and Willard Springs Road)
- Snowbowl Road (Along Snowbowl Road 2 miles north of U.S. Route 180)
- White Horse Pit (Near the junction of Hart Prairie Road and Freedline Drive)
Smoke Impacts
Fire managers take air quality concerns seriously and seek to minimize smoke impacts to the greatest extent possible. Despite the benefits of prescribed burns, we are aware that members of the community can be sensitive to the smoke produced. We coordinate closely with partners to keep communities informed about projects and potential smoke, as well as try to mitigate impacts to communities as much as possible. One tool to use to track air quality and smoke impacts is fire.airnow.gov.
A new Smoke Complaint Hotline has been established for the public at 928-226-4608 for the public to leave their name and number if they would like to speak to fire leadership regarding smoke impacts and prescribed burn concerns.
*/ /*-->*/ Source Coconino National Forest January 24, 2025 - 03:56pm Keyword Coconino National Forest Flagstaff prescribed burns Crater Sinks West Fork Kachina Village smoke pile burnsPile Burning planned in the Prescott Basin on the Bradshaw Ranger District
Fire Managers on the Bradshaw Ranger District plan to burn piles of debris in and around the Prescott Basin. Ignitions are planned to start on Monday January 27 and continue through March 31 as favorable weather conditions allow. Fire managers expect smoke impacts to be light and visible from multiple locations including Prescott, Chino Valley, and surrounding areas.
In the interest of safety, forest visitors are reminded to obey all traffic signs and use caution when traveling in the vicinity of the pile burns as firefighters and fire-related traffic will be in the area.
The purpose of this project is to reduce hazardous fuels in the wildland urban interface and increase ecosystem and community resilience following thinning and fuelwood removal activities. Reducing hazardous fuels helps reduce the threat of high-severity, high-intensity wildfire to the public, adjacent private property, and area communities.
All prescribed fire activity is dependent on several different factors which fire managers closely monitor prior to and during prescribed fire implementation. These factors include availability of personnel and equipment; weather, fuels and conditions that minimize smoke impacts as much as possible; and approval from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (www.azdeq.gov).
For fire information please call Prescott National Forest at (928) 443-8000; or stay up to date on Prescott National Forest news by checking the Prescott NF website and following us on Facebook and Twitter.
Crews to begin winter pile burning on the Kaibab National Forest
Fire managers on the Kaibab National Forest will be conducting prescribed pile burns throughout the 2025 winter season as conditions safely allow. Winter is often the ideal time for crews to burn piles of slash and woody debris left over from forest thinning projects because colder temperatures and snow help moderate fire behavior and keep it from spreading beyond the piles. Approximately 2,190 acres of piles on the Tusayan Ranger District, 5,500 acres on the Williams Ranger District, with additional acres of piles on the North Kaibab Ranger District are slated for burning this season.
With winter precipitation in the forecast for this weekend, crews on the Tusayan Ranger District anticipate conducting pile burns Monday, January 27, 2025, with up to 1,420 acres of hand piles located along Forest Road 302 and State Route 64 south of the Town of Tusayan near the Grand Canyon National Park Airport. The piles can be seen from the town and highway and smoke will be visible during ignitions. The piles are relatively small-in-size and will consume quickly. Little to no smoke impacts are expected. Cooler overnight temperatures may cause smoke to settle into low-lying drainages surrounding these burn locations. Motorists are reminded to use caution and drive with heightened awareness when passing through active project areas.
Prescribed fire activity will be posted as Alerts on the Kaibab NF homepage.
Forest visitors are asked to avoid active hot areas and are reminded to use caution and drive with heightened awareness when in the vicinity of any prescribed fire project.
All prescribed fires on the forest are subject to approval by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. Daily approved prescribed fires and other information about their Smoke Management Program can be found on the ADEQ Air Quality Division website.
Keep up with the Kaibab National Forest by subscribing to our news releases, visiting our website, following us on X and Facebook, or by contacting your local ranger station.
*/ /*-->*/ Source Kaibab National Forest January 24, 2025 - 02:27pm Keyword Kaibab National Forest Tusayan Ranger District prescribed burn winter pile burning
The Maricopa County Air Quality Department has declared a No Burn Day for January 23 due to elevated levels of PM10 (dust).
Take Action
- Eliminate wood burning in fireplaces, stoves, chimeneas, and outdoor fire pits.
- Convert your wood burning fireplace to natural gas or propane. Check if you are eligible to receive up to $2,000 to upgrade your fireplace to natural gas by visiting Maricopa.gov/AQ.
- Avoid using leaf blowers. Use a rake or broom to keep debris out of the road and away from storm drains, ditches, and streams.
- Use electric lawn and garden equipment. Check if you are eligible to receive up to $200 to replace gasoline powered lawn equipment by visiting Maricopa.gov/AQ.
- Reduce your wait time in long drive-thru lines. Park your vehicle and walk inside at coffee shops, fast-food restaurants, curbside pick-up, and banks.
- Fuel your vehicle after dark or during cooler evening hours.
- Use low-VOC (volatile organic compound) or water-based paints, stains, finishes, and paint strippers.
- Properly seal household cleaners, garage and yard chemicals, and other solvents to prevent vapors from evaporating into the air.
No Burn Day Restrictions
- Wood burning in residential fireplaces, chimeneas, outdoor fire pits, and similar outdoor fires is prohibited in Maricopa County. This includes individuals and businesses which have burn permits for open burning.
- Employees and contractors of government entities are prohibited from operating leaf blowers. Residents are encouraged to avoid leaf blowing.
- Off-road vehicles are prohibited from being used.
Regulated Businesses
Businesses conducting dust-generating operations must be vigilant of their dust control measures. Workers may need to cease operating, after stabilizing disturbed areas, if water application and other dust control measures prove ineffective.
PM10 is coarse particulate matter less than 10 micrometers in diameter that are generally emitted from sources such as vehicles traveling on unpaved roads, materials handling, and crushing and grinding operations, as well as windblown.
PM2.5 is fine particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter that result from fuel combustion from motor vehicles, power generation, and industrial facilities, as well as from residential fireplaces and wood stoves.
*/ /*-->*/ Source Maricopa County Air Quality Department January 23, 2025 - 10:10am Keyword No Burn Day PM10 Air Quality Maricopa County dust control wood burning restrictions pollution reduction leaf blowers particulate matter environmental healthPrescribed burn planned southwest of Flagstaff this week
Arizona State Department of Forestry and Fire Management and Coconino National Forest fire managers plan to take advantage of current weather conditions and begin work on a highly visible prescribed burn project southwest of Flagstaff starting tomorrow.
Prescribed burns are always dependent upon multiple conditions, including personnel availability, fuel conditions, weather and approval from the Arizona Department of Environment Quality. Prescribed burns may be changed or canceled last-minute if burn conditions do not meet criteria outlined in advance.
For the latest information at any time of the day, details and updates about all prescribed burn projects can be found on the Coconino NF Prescribed Burn Projects InciWeb page, which is updated any time new information is available.
Crater Sinks (West Fork)
- Dates: January 22-23
- Location: 8 miles west of Kachina Village, roughly 12 miles southwest of Flagstaff.
- Size: Roughly 1,700 acres total: About 950 acres of state land and about 750 acres of Coconino National Forest land
- Type of Burn: Broadcast maintenance burn. Broadcast burning means firefighters will spread the fire across the landscape using drip torches, effectively 'broadcasting' the fire with low intensity across the landscape. Maintenance burns usually mean wildfire has recently been through the area, which tends to mean less smoke since forest fuels will not be as thick or built up over time.
- Smoke Impacts: Predicted north and possibly northeast winds will likely push smoke up to Sycamore Canyon and down to the Verde Valley and Sedona areas. Smoke is likely to settle in low-lying areas overnight.
- Why: This prescribed burn will reduce hazardous fuels in the area. By reducing hazardous fuels, such as pine litter and dried needlecast, during times of cooler weather and lower winds, fire managers can create a buffer zone to safeguard communities and infrastructure from the risk of catastrophic wildfire during peak wildfire season.
- Notes: No formal closure orders will be issued, but members of the public are asked to avoid the fire area.
SMOKE IMPACTS
Fire managers take air quality concerns seriously and seek to minimize smoke impacts to the greatest extent possible. Despite the benefits of prescribed burns, we are aware that members of the community can be sensitive to the smoke produced. We coordinate closely with partners to keep communities informed about projects and potential smoke, as well as try to mitigate impacts to communities as much as possible. One tool to use to track air quality and smoke impacts is fire.airnow.gov.
A new Smoke Complaint Hotline has been established for the public at (928) 226-4608 for the public to leave their name and number if they would like to speak to fire leadership regarding smoke impacts and prescribed burn concerns.
*/ /*-->*/ Source Coconino National Forest January 21, 2025 - 03:05pm Keyword prescribed burn smoke smoke impacts Coconino National Forest Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management DFFM Crater Sinks West ForkFinal Horton Fire Update: Incident downsizing as containment holds
With containment at 94% and fire activity significantly reduced, fire officials are downsizing the incident. This will be the final written update on the Horton Fire unless significant activity occurs. After today, fire information will no longer be posted throughout the affected communities. Management of the Horton Fire will transition from a Type 3 team to a Type 4 team on Tuesday morning.
Operations:Firefighters will continue patrolling and monitoring the fire until it is fully contained, controlled, and declared out. Suppression repair work is ongoing, with heavy equipment operations on Forest Service Road 76 nearing completion.
Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER):The BAER team reports that over 99% of the burned area experienced low-severity fire effects, with minimal impacts to soil structure and fine roots. The team will continue assessments and mitigate risks as needed.
Weather:Cool, dry conditions with slightly higher winds will persist. Visitors are urged to exercise caution with sparks and flames to prevent wildfires during these dry conditions. For wildfire prevention tips, visit Smokey Bear’s Website.
Smoke:Smoke may still be visible as interior pockets of vegetation continue to burn within the fire footprint.
Forest Orders:Forest Order 03-12-00-25-02 remains in effect to protect public safety and firefighting personnel. For details on the updated closure, visit Tonto National Forest Alerts and Notices.
Evacuations:As of January 10, 2025, all communities have returned to READY evacuation status. Residents are encouraged to stay prepared for potential hazards by taking proactive measures.
Firewise:Creating “survivable space” around homes helps protect properties from future wildfires. Learn more about making your home firewise at this Forest Service resource.
Road Closures:Reduced speed limits remain in effect along fire-affected areas of SR-260, but there are no closures at this time. Motorists should drive cautiously and be mindful of firefighters and equipment. For current roadway conditions, visit the Arizona Department of Transportation.
Fire Details:- Size: 8,346 acres
- Start Date: December 14, 2024
- Cause: Under Investigation
- Location: Payson Ranger District, Arizona
- Containment: 94%
- Personnel: 107
- Fuels: Timber, chaparral
- Resources: 1 crew, 5 engines, 1 bulldozer, 1 water tender
- Phone: (602) 551-7327 (8 a.m. - 8 p.m.)
- Email: [email protected]
- Inciweb: Horton Fire Incident Information
- Facebook: Tonto National Forest Facebook
