FREDONIA — Fire managers on the North Kaibab Ranger District are planning to conduct pile burns in the vicinity of Jacob Lake as early as today, as part of the North Zone prescribed fire program.

Pile burning is typically completed in winter when snow is on the ground in order to mitigate fire intensity, remove excess fuel sources from the forest, and improve forest health by fostering a natural burn cycle designed to reduce the amount of vegetation that can physically carry fire from the forest floor into the treetops. This effectively reduces a wildfire’s potential ability to become a running crown fire.

Fire crews plan to treat 50 acres of piles near the water tank located just south of the Jacob Lake Admin Complex, and are expecting smoke to linger in the area through the weekend. No predicted smoke impacts are expected for Marble Canyon, Fredonia, or Kanab.

All prescribed burning on the Kaibab National Forest is subject to approval by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and appropriate weather conditions. For additional information on the Smoke Management Division of the ADEQ and to view prescribed burns authorized on any given day, please visit www.azdeq.gov/environ/air/smoke/index.html.

Additional fire information is available through the following resources: Inciweb; Kaibab National Forest Fire Information Phone Line (928) 635-8311; Text Message – text ‘follow kaibabnf’ to 40404.