Fire Managers on the Bradshaw Ranger District plan to take advantage of moisture received and burn piles of debris south and east of the entrance into the Granite Mountain Recreation Area starting on October 19, 2022, through Monday, October 31, 2022. Fire crews look to burn 275 acres of piles that were constructed as part of a hazardous fuel’s reduction and timber stand improvement project. Piles are located outside of the recreation area and will not impact trails, roads, or campsites in Granite Basin. Fire managers expect smoke impacts to be light, however as temperatures cool overnight smoke may linger in drainages and valleys. Smoke impacts are expected in the areas of Iron Springs, Williamson Valley, Downtown Prescott, Copper Basin, and Thumb Butte.
The purpose of this project is to reduce hazardous fuels following thinning and fuelwood removal activities. Reducing hazardous fuels will help reduce the threat of high severity, high intensity wildfire to the public, adjacent private property and communities. Burning of debris left over from brush-crush and thinning projects require moisture in the surrounding vegetation and typically produces much lighter smoke than broadcast burning. Prescribed fires are managed with firefighter and public safety as our number one priority.
In the interest of safety, forest visitors are reminded to obey all traffic signs and use caution when traveling in the vicinity of any burning operations as firefighters and fire-related traffic will be in the area.
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 managed fires are ignited on the Prescott National Forest:
- Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PrescottNF/
- Twitter https://twitter.com/PrescottNF
For fire information please call the Prescott NF fire information line at (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.
