Fire Managers on the Prescott National Forest plan to continue with prescribed fire operations in the Prescott Basin on the Bradshaw Ranger District south of Prescott, Arizona. Ignitions are planned to start on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, and may continue through Friday, November 17, 2023, depending on weather conditions and resource availability.
The remainder of the Indian Creek RX unit is approximately 630 acres located east of Highway 89, south of White Spar Campground in the Ponderosa Park area. There will be no road or trail closures, but in the interest of safety, forest visitors are reminded to obey all traffic signs and use caution when traveling in the vicinity of prescribed burns as firefighters and fire-related traffic will be in the area.
Since September 25, 2023, Fire managers on the Bradshaw Ranger District have been able to successfully treat 3,451 acres with prescribed fire which included the Goldwater RX-1,185 acres; Groom RX-1,092 acres; Indian Creek RX-524 and Ponderosa RX-650 acres.
Crews have also been successful with treating 7,214 acres on the Chino Valley Ranger District on prescribe fire units which included Limestone RX-839 acres; Southfork RX-2325 acres; and Gravers Rx-4050 acres. Resources will continue to be on scene through the weekend and into next week patrolling, monitoring, and securing any areas of concern along perimeter lines.
A combination of ground and aviation resources will be used to meet the project objectives. Smoke impacts are expected to be light and visible from multiple locations including Prescott, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley, Wilhoit and surrounding area communities. As nighttime temperatures cool, smoke is anticipated to linger in drainages and valleys.
Additionally, Fire Managers will be staffing information booths where the public can stop by, look at maps, get current information on the burns, ask questions, and better understand what it means to live in a community with prescribed fire. The information booths will be located on the east side of the Prescott Fire Department Station 71, 333 White Spar Road, Prescott, AZ on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.; and at the REI Vendor Village located at Frontier Village 1761 E. Highway 69, Prescott, AZ on Friday, November 3 through Sunday, November 5, 1:00 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Prescott National Forest’s land management strategy is centered on long-term forest health and the strategy includes reducing forest fuels and using prescribed fire on the landscape. Using low to moderate fire behavior, we can reduce hazardous fuels in the wildland-urban interface and increases ecosystem and community resilience. Reducing hazardous fuels will help reduce the threat of high-severity, high-intensity wildfire to the public, adjacent private property, and communities.
The project also furthers the goals of the Forest Service’s national Wildfire Crisis Strategy to restore forests so they are less vulnerable to extreme wildfires that can risk lives and property, impact watersheds and wildlife habitat.
All prescribed fire activity is dependent on the availability of personnel and equipment, weather, fuels, conditions that minimize smoke impacts as much as possible, and approval from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (www.azdeq.gov).
Messages and trail closures will be posted on social media when prescribed fires are ignited on the Prescott National Forest:
· Facebook https://www.facebook.com/
· Twitter https://twitter.com/PrescottNF
For fire information please call (928) 925-1111; or stay up to date on Prescott National Forest news by checking the Prescott NF website and following us on Facebook and Twitter.
