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Pile burns planned along Snowbowl Road (Nov. 8)

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FLAGSTAFF — Fire managers with the Coconino National Forest plan to burn piles of slash along Snowbowl Road tomorrow to reduce hazardous forest fuels.

For the latest information at any time of the day, details and updates about all prescribed burn projects can be found on the Coconino NF Prescribed Burn Projects Inciweb page, which is updated any time new information is available

Snowbowl Road Piles Project

  • Date: Nov. 7, 2024
  • Location: Flagstaff Ranger District. About 3 miles up Snowbowl Road (approximately 7.5 miles northwest of Flagstaff).
  • Size: 57 acres
  • Type of Burn: Pile burn. Pile burning is burning forest slash that has been piled up from mechanical or hand-thinning projects. Pile burns are done during winter months when moisture or snow is on the ground so the heat can be managed safely.
  • Smoke Impacts: Possible smoke impacts to Fort Valley and U.S. Highway 180. North and east winds are predicted.
  • Why: Burning these piles from timber treatments effectively removes them as a forest fuel.
  • Closures: No closures are associated with this project.

Smoke Impacts & Management

Fire managers take air quality concerns seriously and seek to minimize smoke impacts to the greatest extent possible. Despite the benefits of prescribed burns, we are aware that members of the community can be sensitive to the smoke produced. We coordinate closely with partners to keep communities informed about projects and potential smoke, as well as try to mitigate impacts to communities as much as possible. One tool to use to track air quality and smoke impacts is fire.airnow.gov.

A new Smoke Complaint Hotline has been established for the public at 928-226-4608 for the public to leave their name and number if they would like to speak to fire leadership regarding smoke impacts and prescribed burn concerns.