Courtesy image.
WILLIAMS — Unfavorable weather arriving to the local area overnight has persuaded Fire Managers to temporarily delay treatments on the Three Sisters Prescribed Fire Project until conditions improve that are more suitable for meeting project objectives.
Crews will shift operations to the 6900 acre Blue Stem Rx Project located on the Tusayan Ranger District located south of the Coconino Rim near Russell Tank and the Bucklar Ranch. There will be a temporary detour on approximately 7 miles of the Arizona Trail from forest road 310 to the Moqui Stage Station. Trail users will be diverted to forest roads 311 and 301 along the west side of the burn area, and are asked to follow designated routes posted along the trail until the detour is lifted. Operations are expected to last 3-4 days.
These burns are part of four designated project areas that have been scheduled for burning in the month of October on the south zone of the Kaibab National Forest. Unpredictable weather changes can often cause delays, however fire managers maintain flexibility and can move into other geographical areas that stay within prescription parameters.
Visitors can expect to see and hear a helicopter in the area, as aerial ignitions will occur on portions of the burn. Aerial-drone systems should not be used near the active project area, as they could interfere with aircraft operations.
Smoke will be visible from areas adjacent to these burns, however is not expected to impact any rural developed communities. Cooler overnight temperatures may cause smoke to settle into low-lying drainages surrounding these burn locations.
Motorists are reminded to use caution and drive with heightened awareness when passing through any active project areas.
Goals of prescribed fire treatments include decreasing the threat of unnatural severe wildfire and potential negative consequences to the community, improving forest health, and reintroducing fire to an ecosystem that relies on frequent fire to maintain resilience. 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.
Our land management strategy is centered on long-term forest health, including reducing forest fuels and using prescribed fire on the landscape.
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.
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.
Additional information can be found on the Kaibab NF website, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, or by calling the Fire Information Recorded Hotline at 928-635-8311 or local ranger stations.