Daily Archives: April 24, 2018

Kaibab National Forest to conduct prescribed burn near Tusayan tomorrow

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TUSAYAN – Fire crews with the Kaibab National Forest plan to implement a prescribed fire project near Tusayan starting tomorrow and continuing through Thursday in order to improve forest health and reduce the risk of unnaturally severe wildfire to the community.

The area to be treated is part of the Reed Prescribed Fire Project, which has blocks both southwest and east of the Town of Tusayan. This week, fire managers will focus on the 250-acre block southwest of Tusayan and south of Grand Canyon Airport. Ignitions will begin early tomorrow morning and are expected to be complete by Thursday evening.Because of the proximity of the area to be treated to the community and the possibility of smoke impacts, fire managers look for very specific weather, fuel and wind conditions under which to ignite within the Reed Prescribed Fire Project. Fire managers plan to take advantage of predicted conditions over the next couple of days, due to winds that are anticipated to move the majority of the smoke west and away from Tusayan, the airport, Grand Canyon National Park, and state Highway 64.

Fire managers recognize the negative effects that lingering smoke can have on communities after a prescribed fire and are constantly adjusting tactics to minimize impacts. Ignitions only occur on specific days when winds will transport smoke away from sensitive locations and busy roadways. Crews will also burn smaller acreage blocks and begin earlier in the day in order to minimize smoke production time and allow for good ventilation throughout the afternoon. This strategy will lessen the early morning smoke that can carry into town from evening downslope winds.

Despite these mitigation efforts, some smoke is still likely to be visible at different times from state Highway 64 and from the communities of Grand Canyon, Valle and Tusayan.

The Kaibab National Forest is part of a fire-adapted ecosystem. It is dependent on fire to play a natural role in maintaining vibrant forest health. Fire on the landscape is critical to overall ecosystem functioning and to reducing threats posed to communities by unnaturally severe wildfire and its sometimes devastating after effects, such as watershed degradation and flooding.

Fire managers work closely with local town officials, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, partners in the Grand Canyon National Park, as well as surrounding Native American tribes to monitor air quality whenever burns are implemented.

The public can view approved prescribed fires for any given day on the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s website at http://smoke.azdeq.gov/. Prescribed fires on the Kaibab National Forest begin with the forest’s designator “KNF.”

Notifications of upcoming prescribed burns are provided regularly throughout the season. Additional information can be obtained through the following sources:

Inciweb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5160/
Fire Information Recorded Hotline: 928-635-8311
Facebook: facebook.com/kaibabnf
Twitter: twitter.com/kaibabnf (Text ‘follow kaibabnf’ to 40404 to receive text messages.)
Kaibab website “Recent News”: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab

Williams Ranger District to Continue Ignitions on Sunflower Rx Fire Project

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WILLIAMS – Fire managers on the south zone of the Kaibab National Forest will resume implementation on the Sunflower prescribed fire project beginning Saturday of this week. With red flag conditions subsiding and a measure of moisture in the immediate forecast, favorable weather conditions have presented an opportunity to continue with treatments in this specific area.

The 15,195 acre Sunflower project is located approximately 7 miles southeast of Williams between County Road 73 and Whitehorse Lake. It began in the fall of 2017 and will likely be ongoing throughout the year as opportunities arise and conditions permit.

Fire plays a beneficial role in maintaining the ecological stability of many landscapes including the Kaibab National Forest. Managers use prescribed fire as a practical means to reduce risks associated with uncharacteristic wildfires that can pose significant threats to public health and safety.

Officials understand that smoke impacts to air quality may be unpleasant at times, however they can significantly reduce the amount and limit the duration more effectively using prescribed methods as opposed to an uncontrolled wildfire situation with long term effects.

During operations, fire personnel and vehicles working in these vicinities will be visible to the public. Motorists are reminded to slow down and drive with heightened caution when passing through active project areas.

All prescribed burning on the Kaibab National Forest is subject to approval by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.

For additional information about the Smoke Management Division of the ADEQ and to view prescribed burns authorizations, please visit www.azdeq.gov/environ/air/smoke/index.html. Additional fire information for Kaibab National Forest can be obtained through the following sources: InciWeb inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5160/ Kaibab National Forest Fire Information Phone Line (928) 635-8311; Text Message – text ‘follow kaibabnf’ to 40404.

Kaibab National Forest to implement fire restrictions this Friday

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WILLIAMS – The Kaibab National Forest will implement campfire and smoking restrictions, also known as Stage I fire restrictions, across the entire Williams and Tusayan Ranger Districts beginning at 8 a.m. this Friday. Due to different weather and fuel conditions, the North Kaibab Ranger District, which is located north of Grand Canyon National Park, will not yet implement any fire restrictions.

Under the restrictions to be implemented Friday across the Williams and Tusayan Ranger Districts, fires, campfires, charcoal, coal and wood stoves are prohibited, except within the specific developed recreation sites listed here:

  • Kaibab Lake Campground, Williams Ranger District
  • Dogtown Lake Campground, Williams Ranger District
  • White Horse Lake Campground, Williams Ranger District
  • Tex-X Campground, Tusayan Ranger District

Stage I restrictions also limit smoking to within enclosed vehicles or buildings or in the listed developed recreation sites.

Using a device that is solely fueled by liquid petroleum or LPG fuels that can be turned on and off is allowed in areas that are barren or cleared of all overhead and surrounding flammable materials within 3 feet of the device. Fireworks are always prohibited on all National Forest lands.

The Forest Service uses fire restrictions to help prevent unwanted, human-caused fires and to limit the exposure of visitors during periods of potentially dangerous fire conditions. Implementation of fire restrictions normally occurs based on a combination of factors that are carefully measured.

Criteria used to determine when to implement restrictions include things such as current and predicted weather, fuel moisture, a variety of science-based indices, fire activity levels and available firefighting resources. Additional restrictions may be applied any time that conditions warrant. Fire restrictions typically remain in effect until the area covered by the restrictions receives significant precipitation, at which time they will be rescinded.

Forest officials would also like to remind visitors that having a campfire on the National Forest while under fire restrictions is a violation that carries a mandatory appearance in federal court. Violations are punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000, imprisonment of not more than six months, or both.

These fire restrictions apply only to the Williams and Tusayan Ranger Districts of the Kaibab National Forest. However, many city, state, and county agencies implement similar restrictions, so members of the public should check with the appropriate agency on any restrictions before starting a campfire, charcoal grill or anything with an open flame.

Members of the public can find additional information on the Kaibab National Forest through the following sources:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/KaibabNF (Text ‘follow kaibabnf’ to 40404 to receive text messages.)
Website: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KaibabNF