WILLIAMS — Moist weather in northern Arizona continues to endure providing excellent opportunities to keep moving forward with prescribed burns well into the early months of this year. Approximately 16000 acres have been broadcast burned thus far on the Kaibab National Forest, and crews will remain proactive as long as conditions allow.

Treatments may continue on the currently active Kendrick prescribed fire project in the week ahead as well as the next unit on the Blue Stem Rx project located 18 miles southeast of Tusayan.
Fire Managers recognize that as summer rapidly approaches, these windows of opportunity will eventually close as temperatures rise and fuels dry out. Ignitions only occur when environmental conditions at each location align with the parameters outlined in each project specific burn plan.

Area residents and visitors may see and hear a helicopter in the vicinity, as aerial ignitions will occur on portions of these burns. Citizens are strongly urged to refrain from using any type of aerial-drone systems near any active project area that could potentially interfere with aircraft operations.

Crews successfully completed burning 1509 acres on the Three Sisters Rx project on Wednesday last week and forest officials would like to thank the entire community of Williams for their support while this critical piece of ground was treated.

All prescribed fires are subject to approval by an agency administrator, and by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. The department’s Air Quality Division: Smoke Management webpage provides details about its air quality program. To learn more about smoke and public health, visit bit.ly/SmokeHealthAwareness.
The Kaibab National Forest remains committed to providing the public with ongoing updates with as much advance notice as possible. Sign up to receive Kaibab NF news releases in your email.

Our land management strategy is centered on long-term forest health, including reducing forest fuels and using prescribed fire on the landscape. Prescribed fires help reduce hazardous fuels that have accumulated due to drought, climate change, insects and disease, and decades of fire suppression. Fire also recycles nutrients back to the soil, promotes the growth of trees, wildflowers, and other plants, and improves habitat for threatened and endangered species. These efforts align with the Forest Service’s 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy which aims to increase prescribed fire and other treatments to improve forest resiliency for generations to come.
Additional information can be found on the Kaibab NF website, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, or by calling the Fire Information Hotline at 928-635-8311.