FLAGSTAFF, Ariz., Oct. 26, 2023 – Flagstaff Ranger District (FRD) fire managers have temporarily paused firing operations on the Horseshoe Project, located 5 miles directly north of Bellemont, today due to higher-than-expected humidity levels.
Wednesday’s firing operations successfully treated 768 acres of land. Operations that had been tentatively scheduled for today have been postponed to tomorrow.
“Prescribed fire operations are both an art and a science,” said Burn Boss Ryan Rawlinson, FRD Fuels Assistant Fire Management Officer. “We have to have the right temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, staffing levels and fuel moisture. Anything less than perfect isn’t enough for us to proceed.”
While fire managers always seek to give ample notice of prescribed fire plans to area residents, prescribed fire plans are always tentative and are subject to change last-minute if conditions are not met.
Firefighters will spend the rest of today patrolling the perimeter of yesterday’s firing operations.
This segment of the Horseshoe Project (Wild Bill units) consists of 1,331 acres. This project will help consume five to seven tons of woody debris per acre in the Ponderosa pine ecosystem and remove hazardous fuels that could later be a catalyst for a catastrophic wildfire.
The Horseshoe Project is just one of several prescribed fire projects the Coconino NF will be implementing across all three districts throughout the coming weeks.
Removing hazardous fuels during times of opportune weather—when winds are moderate, temperatures are lower and humidity is higher—helps prevent high-intensity and catastrophic wildfire during summer months.
The Forest Service’s 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy aims to increase prescribed fire and other treatments across the landscape to improve forest resiliency for generations to come.
Smoke will be visible to those in northern Arizona as this broadcast burn takes place. Smoke may impact areas of Bellemont and Parks, especially as it settles during the evening and early morning hours after the burn but will lift and dissipate as the heat of the day increases.
Plans for prescribed fire on the Coconino NF during the 2023 fall season are updated weekly on InciWeb, and daily approved prescribed burn plans across the state can be found on the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s approved burns website.
Please refrain from contacting dispatch or 911 to report prescribed fire smoke so lines can remain open for emergencies.
We recognize that smoke impacts can affect residents and visitors in addition to our fire personnel. We will continue to coordinate closely with partners and communities to keep people informed about projects and potential smoke. Affected communities can learn more at airnow.gov.
Prior to implementing prescribed fire plans, the Coconino NF follows steps outlined in the agency-wide National Prescribed Fire Review. These steps include items such as validating and updating prescribed fire plans with the most recent science and modeling, incorporating new drought monitoring data, ensuring the patrol plan and long-term patrol strategy is documented and communicating with and involving landowners, cooperators, elected officials and partners as we implement prescribed fires.
Prescribed fire is an important part of maintaining forest health. For more information on why prescribed fire is conducted and how it benefits the landscape and help protect communities, please visit our Prescribed Fire and Forest Health webpage.
