FREDONIA – Fire managers plan to burn piles on the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest tomorrow through Friday, weather permitting.

Crews will be active on approximately 125 acres at the southern end of the district near DeMotte campground and on 250 acres at the northern end of the district near Jacob Lake. The treatment is continuation of the Plateau Facilities Fire Protection Project, an ongoing wildfire mitigation project that includes a combination of prescribed burning and mechanical thinning designed to ultimately treat about 5,000 acres across the Kaibab Plateau.

The piles have cured over the last few years and are expected to consume quickly. Winds are expected to have a southerly influence, which would push any smoke produced to the north/northeast. However, fire managers anticipate smoke impacts to be very light as transport winds are forecast to be 10-to-15 mph. Individuals in the surrounding area who have smoke sensitivities are advised to limit their outdoor exposure during the pile burn.

General Information: Implementation of any particular prescribed fire, including a pile burn, is dependent on weather and fuel conditions including winds, temperature, humidity, moisture of the vegetation and ventilation conditions for dispersal of smoke. All prescribed fires are subject to approval by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. For additional information on the Smoke Management Division and to view prescribed burn authorizations for any given day, visit http://www.azdeq.gov/programs/air-quality-programs/smoke-management.

No road or trail closures are expected. However, in the interest of safety, visitors are always reminded to use caution when traveling in the vicinity of prescribed fires, as firefighters, fire-related traffic, and smoke may all be present.

FREDONIA – U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service fire managers, working together as the North Zone Interagency Fire Management Program, plan to initiate the Moquitch-3 prescribed burn unit as early as Tuesday if weather, resources, and fuel moisture conditions remain favorable to assuring firefighter and visitor safety, while still achieving the desired objectives outlined during the planning process.

As anticipated conditions fall within prescriptive parameters over the weekend, firefighters will focus on treating approximately 2,000 acres on the east portion of the Moquitch-3 prescribed burn unit.

Additional details are as follows:

Fuels: The Moquitch 3 prescribed burn unit consists of vegetation that is predominantly ponderosa pine with scattered clumps of aspen and patches of New Mexico locust.

Location: The unit is located about 6 miles south of Jacob Lake.

Objectives: Reduce accumulations of hazardous fuels down to 5 tons-per-acre and stimulating aspen regeneration in areas where mature clones exist.

Smoke: Smoke impacts may include Jacob Lake, AZ Highway 67, AZ Highway 89A and forest roads directly along the burn unit boundary (see map for details).

Safety: During prescribed fires, motorists are cautioned that smoke may be present in short durations, which may impact roads and populated areas. Motorists are reminded to use caution, drive slowly, turn on headlights, and avoid stopping in areas where fire personnel is working.

As a reminder, all prescribed burning 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 http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/air/smoke/index.html.

Fire information: Additional information is made available through the following resources: Inciweb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5632/; Kaibab National Forest Fire Information Phone Line (928) 635-8311; Text Message – text ‘follow kaibabnf’ to 40404; https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/management/fire_info.htm.

FREDONIA – – For Immediate Release. Ignition operations on the Wildhorse prescribed fire (Wildhorse Rx) were completed today. As a result, smoke from the prescribed burn is expected to result in more favorable smoke dispersion over the weekend. Fire managers estimate that approximately 2,813 acres of hazardous fuels have been treated since the project began this week on the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest.

Over the weekend, resources will remain onsite and continue to monitor and patrol the Wildhorse and Tipover East prescribed fire projects.

Fire managers anticipate smoke impacts to lessen over the communities in Marble Canyon and Page, AZ, and traffic directly adjacent to the Wildhorse Rx Unit. Motorists are asked to remain cautious when traveling in and around these prescribed burn units, Arizona Highways 89A and 67 as smoke may intermittently impact these areas. Visitors are reminded to use caution, drive slowly, turn on headlights, and avoid stopping in areas where fire personnel is working.

FREDONIA – North Zone fire managers on the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest and the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park have announced locations where they plan to complete prescribed fire projects starting in October and continuing through the spring of 2018. Approximately 13,850 acres could be eligible for treatment across the plateau, but the implementation of each project will only occur when weather, fuel moisture, and smoke dispersal conditions are within the defined prescription parameters.

The role that prescribed fires play includes decreasing risks to life, resources, and property. Fire managers carefully plan prescribed fires, initiating them only under environmental conditions that are favorable to assure firefighter and visitor safety and to achieve the desired objectives, which include reducing accumulations of hazard fuels, maintaining the natural role of fire in a fire-adapted ecosystem, and protecting sensitive cultural and natural resources.

This season’s planned treatment areas are as follows:

Thompson Unit: The Thompson prescribed burn unit (Thompson Rx) consists of dense vegetation and heavy dead and down fuels that are predominantly composed of spruce, fir, and aspen. The ignition portion of the Thompson Unit is approximately 2,000 acres, and the project area is located both on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and the North Kaibab Ranger District, on the east side of AZ Highway 67 and directly east of the North Rim entrance station. Objectives include reducing accumulations of hazardous fuels by 40 percent.

Smoke impacts may include Highway 67, the North Rim Entrance Station, DeMotte Park and portions of the Grand Canyon including the Nankoweep area and Kwagunt Valley area. Additional smoke impacts may occur in the Marble Canyon area and as far away as Page.

Moquitch 3 Unit: The Moquitch 3 prescribed burn unit (Moquitch 3 Rx) consists of vegetation that is predominantly ponderosa pine with scattered clumps of aspen and patches of New Mexico locust. The unit is approximately 3,500 acres and is located about 6 miles south of Jacob Lake. Objectives include reducing accumulations of hazardous fuels down to 5 tons-per-acre and stimulating aspen regeneration in areas where mature clones exist.

Smoke impacts may include Jacob Lake, AZ Highway 67 and AZ Highway 89A.

Tipover East Unit: The Tipover East prescribed burn unit (Tipover Rx) consists of vegetation that is predominantly first-entry mixed conifer, which in this case means the area has not seen fire disturbance in more than 100 years and therefore contains above-average fuel loads potentially posing a higher risk of a large-scale wildfire. Fire managers plan to treat approximately 2,500 acres for this season. The unit is located on a strip of forested land along the boundary of Grand Canyon National Park and the Kaibab National Forest west of Highway 67. Objectives include reducing accumulations of hazardous fuels and protecting sensitive cultural and natural resources.

Smoke impacts may include Highway 89A, Highway 67, Marble Canyon and other high-use visitor areas.

North Rim Slopes Unit: The North Rim Slopes prescribed burn unit (Slopes Rx) also consists of vegetation that is predominantly first-entry mixed conifer. Fire managers plan to treat approximately 2,500 acres for this season. The unit is located along the north boundary of Grand Canyon National Park, west of Highway 67. Objectives include reducing accumulations of hazardous fuels by 25 percent and returning fire to a fire-adapted ecosystem.

Smoke impacts may include Highway 67, the North Rim Entrance Station, DeMotte Park and portions of the Grand Canyon.

Wildhorse Unit: The Wildhorse prescribed burn unit (Wildhorse Rx) consists of vegetation that is predominantly Ponderosa pine, Pinion pine, Juniper and a few scattered clumps of Aspen. The unit is approximately 2,800 acres and is located near Jacob Lake. Objectives include reducing accumulations of hazardous fuels down to 5 tons-per-acre and protecting sensitive cultural and natural resources.

Smoke impacts may include Forest Service roads north of Jacob Lake, Highway 89A, Jacob Lake developed area and the LeFevre overlook.

High Severity Edge Unit: The High Severity Edge prescribed burn unit (High Severity Edge Rx) consists of vegetation that is predominantly ponderosa pine and mixed conifer. Fire managers plan to treat approximately 500 acres for this season, and the unit is located on the Walhalla Plateau, west and south of Cape Royal Road. Objectives include limiting high severity fire effects in forested areas adjacent to or near patches of past high-severity wildfires.

Smoke impacts may include Highway 67, the North Rim Entrance Station, DeMotte Park and portions of the Grand Canyon.

Bright Angel Unit: The Bright Angel prescribed burn unit (Bright Angel Rx) consists of vegetation that is predominantly ponderosa pine. Fire managers plan to treat approximately 50 acres this season, and objectives include reducing fuel accumulations, creating a defensible space around structures in the developed area on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and protecting sensitive cultural and natural resources.

Smoke impacts may include portions of the Grand Canyon.

North Zone Pile Burns (Pile Rx): Fire managers will also spend time preparing to burn piles of woody debris as resources and weather conditions allow. These piles are typically composed of vegetative materials, commonly called slash, such as tops, limbs, branches, brush, and other recently cut miscellaneous materials resulting from forest management activities such as thinning, pruning, timber harvesting, and wildfire hazard mitigation. Upon arranging slash into compact, teepee-shapes and allowing the piles to dry, fire managers will burn the piles during safe burning conditions, generally after a snowfall or significant wetting-rain events.

During prescribed fires, motorists are cautioned that smoke may be present in short durations, which may impact roads and populated areas, and are reminded to use caution, drive slowly, turn on headlights, and avoid stopping in areas where fire personnel is working.

As a reminder, all prescribed burning 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 http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/air/smoke/index.html.

Before any given prescribed fire operations begin, additional information will be released regarding location, timing and anticipated smoke impacts. Fire information is also available through the following resources: Inciweb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5632/; Kaibab National Forest Fire Information Phone Line (928) 635-8311; Text Message – text ‘follow kaibabnf’ to 40404; https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/management/fire_info.htm.

FREDONIA – North Zone fire managers plan to conduct a prescribed burn within the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest as early as Thursday, June 1, if weather, fuel moistures, air quality and smoke dispersion remain favorable for meeting both forest health and public safety goals and objectives.

Hand and aerial ignitions on the 3,764-acre unit, approximately 2 miles north of Jacob Lake, could continue for several days depending on forecasted weather, fuel conditions and resource availability. By further reducing accumulated forest fuels that exist in the area, fire managers plan to reduce surface fuel loads within the unit to approximately 5 tons per acre. Currently, fuel loading through much of the Basin Unit can be characterized as moderate with an average of 10-to-15 tons-per-acre across the entire unit, according to North Zone fuels specialist Dave Robinson.

In the interest of both firefighter and public safety, forest visitors are reminded to obey all traffic signs and use caution when traveling in the vicinity of the prescribed fire as firefighters and fire-related traffic will be present, and while winds are expected to disperse the smoke to the north-northeast, motorists are cautioned to anticipate light smoke along Highway 89A throughout the day and settle into lower elevations and drainages overnight through midmorning. However, fire managers will strive to minimize smoke impacts to the community as much as possible, and will only commence ignitions when conditions exist that will allow for adequate ventilation.

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/programs/air-quality-programs/smoke-management.

Additional fire information for the Kaibab National Forest can be obtained through the following sources:

· Fire Information Recorded Hotline: 928-635-8311
· Find us on Facebook: @KaibabNF
· Twitter: www.twitter.com/KaibabNF
· (Text ‘follow kaibabnf’ to 40404 to receive text messages.)
· Kaibab website “News & Events”: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab
· InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5194/