Kaibab National Forest prepares for prescribed fires near Tusayan and Williams

Favorable weather conditions in place for hazardous fuels reduction work

WILLIAMS — The Kaibab National Forest is planning prescribed fire operations on the Tusayan Ranger District beginning Friday, October 24, pending all required approvals. We estimate this work to continue through the weekend and may begin operations on the Williams Ranger District next week as weather conditions allow. We use prescribed fires to help reduce overgrown vegetation to help protect local communities, infrastructure and natural resources from wildfires.

Prescribed fires planned for the area include:

Vicinity map showing the Town of Tusayan, Grand Canyon, and Highway 67 with a red shape indicating the Blue Stem prescribed fire project

Blue Stem Project
Tusayan RD
7030 acres of broadcast burning

Friday Oct 24 through the weekend

Smoke will be highly noticeable from the Tusayan area, particularly portions of State Route 64. Smoke is expected to lift during the day and travel northeast away from developed areas adjacent to these burns, however cooler overnight temperatures may cause smoke to settle into low-lying areas surrounding the burn location.

Vicinity map showing the City of Williams and Interstate 40 with a red shape indicating the Pine Flat prescribed fire project

Pine Flat Project
Williams RD
4302 acres of broadcast burning
Potentially the week of Oct 27

Smoke will be highly noticeable from the Williams area, Flagstaff, Verde Valley communities, Prescott communities, Chino Valley, Paulden, Ashfork, Parks, Bellemont, I40 and portions of State Route 73. Smoke is expected to lift during the day and travel northeast away from developed areas adjacent to these burns, however cooler overnight temperatures may cause smoke to settle into low-lying areas surrounding the burn location.

Area residents and 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.

Those areas may close to the public for several days for public safety. Watch for warning signs along roads near all prescribed fire areas before and during burns.

Residents may experience smoke during the prescribed burns. Go to https://fire.airnow.gov/ to find more detailed information about air quality. When driving, slow down and turn on your headlights when you encounter smoke on the road.

We will evaluate weather conditions in the hours before a burn begins. If conditions warrant, scheduled prescribed fire activities may be canceled.

The Forest will notify county emergency management officials when burning begins.

Stay informed about the scheduled prescribed fires through the forest website, social media channels, and InciWeb, the interagency incident information system.

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About the Forest Service: The USDA Forest Service has for more than 100 years brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology– and rooted in communities–the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.

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