FREDONIA — North Zone fire managers successfully completed a test fire today on the Dry Park 422E Unit and resumed operations on the 1,226-acre prescribed fire unit today, which is located on the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest.
With conditions similar to yesterday, resources were able to use aerial ignitions across the unit and complete approximately 1,119 acres. Unlike hand ignitions, which can be very time consuming depending on terrain, fuel loading and fire behavior, aerial ignitions dramatically decrease the time needed to put fire on the ground. This firing technique provides the fire with a greater window of time to ventilate smoke so transport winds disperse the smoke before evening temperatures start to cool the area.
Based on the successful completion of the Dry Park 422E Unit, fire managers anticipate initiating hand ignitions on the 1,806-acre Jacob Ryan Bridge Unit as early as tomorrow.
Looking ahead for the next few weeks, fire managers continue tracking conditions for opportunities to pursue prescribed fire operations on the Tipover East Unit and Lobo Unit.
The total Tipover East Unit is 10,296 acres in size, but the entire project area will not be burned at once. Fire managers have divided the project area into separate burn units that will be treated over the next 3 to 5 years, focusing on approximately 3,000 acres for this season. The total Lobo Unit is approximately 2,100 acres.
In the interest of safety, forest visitors are reminded to obey all traffic signs and use caution when traveling in the vicinity of the prescribed fire burn units as firefighters and fire-related traffic will be in the area. Smoke is expected to be visible from Highway 89A, Highway 67, Marble Canyon and other high-use visitor areas; however, fire managers will strive to minimize smoke impacts to the community as much as possible. Smoke is expected to disperse during the daytime, but residual smoke may settle into drainages and low-lying areas overnight. However, it is expected to dissipate quickly as fire managers will only commence ignitions when conditions exist that will allow smoke to adequately ventilate.
As a reminder, implementation of prescribed fires is dependent on weather and fuel conditions including winds, temperature, humidity, moisture of the vegetation and ventilation conditions for dispersal of smoke, as well as, prior coordination with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. 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.