Prescott National Forest fire officials plan to conduct three prescribed burns Monday, Oct. 27, through Sunday, Nov. 2, if weather conditions are favorable.
On Thursday, Prescott Forest fire officials successfully burned about 70 acres of the ongoing Bean Peaks project just southwest of Prescott.
Then on Friday, an extended plume of smoke from a 541-acre prescribed burn on the Kaibab National Forest just east of Williams was visible from Prescott. That actually consisted of two projects, the Dogtown and City burns.
Officials are planning the following burns for the coming week:
• Ash Creek: approximately 2,500 acres beginning Wednesday, Oct. 29, through Sunday, Nov. 2, in the Ash Creek area south of Palace Station, between Prescott and Crown King. Travel delays are possible on Forest Road 52 and County Road 177 (Location: T12N, R1W, S19, 31, 32, 33).
• Bean Peaks: approximately 600 acres of broadcast maintenance burn on Monday, Oct. 27, in the Bean Peaks area just south of Prescott. Signs along Highway 89 will warn drivers of the burn and of possible smoke. Vehicles traveling on School House Gulch and Marapai roads should be cautious because of smoke and possible delays (T13N, R2W, S20 & 21).
• Cherry/Powell Springs: approximately 250 acres of broadcast maintenance burn on Tuesday, Oct. 28. The burn is south of Mingus Mountain, near the Powell Springs Campground (T14N, R3E, S19).
Broadcast maintenance burns take place in areas where fire managers have conducted previous burns in recent years, so smoke is relatively minimal. Prescribed burns help remove dead vegetation, invigorate plant and animal communities, promote a healthy watershed and help return fire to its natural role in the ecosystem. These burns are part of an ongoing fuels reduction project to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire.
Information: www.fs.fed.us/r3/prescott or call 928-777-5799.
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