Fire managers on the Verde Ranger District plan to ignite and burn approximately 2,500 acres of the Burro RX. Ignitions are planned to start on Friday, May 31, 2024, pending favorable weather conditions and resource availability. The Burro RX is located near the communities of Cherry, Whitehorse, and Dewey south of Hwy 169, west of I-17 and east of YC 168 (T13N, R3E, Section 19)
- Smoke will be visible from Prescott Valley, Cherry, Dewey, Prescott, Camp Verde, and the I-17 corridor. Expect light to moderate volume of smoke during daylight hours and overnight smoke impacts in the immediate area, Dewey and surrounding low lying areas. Those traveling State Route 169 can expect to see smoke on the road and are advised to obey all traffic signs and use caution when traveling in the vicinity of the burn as firefighters and fire-related traffic will be in the area.
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. Values to be protected include private inholdings, forest and range infrastructure, the communities of Cherry and Whitehorse. Ecological benefits include increasing vegetation diversity, improving wildlife habitat and reducing invasive plants. This RX project will also help encourage growth of native grasses and improve range habitat for permittee grazing allotments.
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 better protect communities, while improving watersheds, wildlife habitat, and forest health.
All prescribed fire activity is dependent on the availability of personnel and equipment, weather, fuels and conditions that minimize smoke impacts as much as possible, and approval from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (www.azdeq.gov).
Messages will be posted on social media when prescribed fires are ignited on the Prescott National Forest:
- Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PrescottNF/
- 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.
