Tag: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Coconino National Forest to lift fire restrictions Thursday

by Community Contributor • September 3, 2025 • Comments Off

FLAGSTAFF — The Coconino National Forest will lift fire restrictions at 8 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 4, due to recent widespread precipitation across the forest.

While forest-wide restrictions will be lifted, several areas of the Coconino National Forest are subject to permanent year-round fire restrictions, which will continue to remain in effect.

Forest visitors are asked to adhere to best practices when building a campfire. Where fires are permitted, use established fire rings, fire pans or mound fires, and keep fires small. It is always illegal to leave a campfire unattended.

Snowbowl Road to temporarily close Sept. 6

by Community Contributor • August 29, 2025 • Comments Off

FLAGSTAFF — Snowbowl Road (Forest Road [FR] 516) will close from 6 a.m. to noon Saturday Sept. 6 to accommodate the annual Climb to Conquer Cancer event.

Electronic road signs will be posted to remind motorists of the temporary closure.

While Snowbowl Road will remain open before and after the closure window, drivers are asked to remain alert and cautious. Event coordinators and sponsors will be using the road to initiate event setup in the days leading up to the event.

Woods Fire (east of Oak Creek) at 50 percent containment

by Community Contributor • August 15, 2025 • Comments Off

SEDONA — Firefighters working on the Woods Fire have been successful in suppressing and securing the perimeter around the wildfire, achieving 50% containment and will transition to a local Type 4 organization tomorrow morning.

A more accurate mapping of the wildfire located 2 miles east of the Village of Oak Creek puts it at 59 acres. It has been determined to be a lightning-caused fire.

High humidity provided favorable conditions for firefighters, allowing use of natural landscape and human-made barriers to keep the fire within its existing footprint.

Crews responding to small wildfire near A1 Mountain west of Flagstaff

by Community Contributor • July 10, 2025 • Comments Off

FLAGSTAFF — Firefighters are responding to a small wildfire located near A1 Mountain roughly 6 miles west of Flagstaff.

Resources assigned to the Soggy Bottom Fire include six engines, a water tender and two hand crews.

The fire is between 5 and 7 acres with a moderate rate of spread through grass and timber.

It was first reported at about 2:30 p.m. (Wednesday, July 9) and its cause is under investigation.

Firefighters to begin work on fuelbreak project to help protect community in Oak Creek Canyon

by Community Contributor • June 27, 2025 • Comments Off

SEDONA — Firefighters will begin a hand thinning fuelbreak project tomorrow around the community of Indian Gardens in Oak Creek Canyon which will complement previous fuels treatments in the area and increase defensible space around public and private land.

This shaded fuelbreak project will help fire managers establish control lines for future fire management decisions and expand the areas between homes and vegetation. In turn, this will help reduce the threat of a wildfire damaging or destroying homes and allow firefighters to safely defend the Indian Gardens community.

Stage 2 fire restrictions begin Wednesday evening on Coconino National Forest

by Community Contributor • June 17, 2025 • Comments Off

FLAGSTAFF — The Coconino National Forest will implement Stage 2 fire and smoking restrictions beginning 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 18 as the threat of unwanted wildfires increases due to hot, dry and windy weather conditions.

Under Stage 2 fire restrictions, the following are prohibited at all times forest-wide:

Igniting, building, maintaining, or using a fire (including charcoal and briquettes) anywhere within the Coconino National Forest, including developed recreation sites. This prohibition also includes smudge pots and wood stoves.
Smoking outside (with the exemption of smoking within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or while stopped in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of any flammable material).
Blasting, welding or operating an acetylene or other torch with an open flame.
Within specific areas of the Flagstaff Ranger District motorized vehicles will be prohibited on forest roads of the San Francisco Peaks area, Pumphouse Wash area and Marshall Lake area.

Basin Fire northwest of Flagstaff 54% contained; firing operations complete and resources demobilizing

by Community Contributor • June 13, 2025 • Comments Off

FLAGSTAFF — The 9,145-acre Basin Fire, a lightning-caused wildfire located 20 miles northwest of Flagstaff, is 54% contained following several days of firing operations and securing.

Fire crews spent Wednesday finishing smaller firing operations on the interior of the fire. Several resources began the demobilization process Wednesday night as the fire winds down. Firefighters will continue patrolling the fire’s perimeter (on Thursday).

“We’re pleased with the results of the Basin Fire on the landscape,” said District Ranger Matt McGrath. “This kind of fire works to reduce the risk of catastrophic fire and post fire-flooding to our surrounding communities and resources.”

Coconino County National Forest —Firefighters continue ignitions on Basin Fire north of Flagstaff

by Community Contributor • June 10, 2025 • Comments Off

FLAGSTAFF — Firefighters completed roughly 4,000 acres of ignitions today on the Basin Fire, a lightning-caused wildfire located 20 miles northwest of Flagstaff, that is being actively managed to improve forest health.

A closure order for the area surrounding the Basin Fire has been issued for public and firefighter safety.

Management of lightning-caused Basin Fire north of Flagstaff (on June 9)

by Community Contributor • June 9, 2025 • Comments Off

FLAGSTAFF — Active management of the Basin Fire, a lightning-caused wildfire located 20 miles northwest of Flagstaff, will begin (on June 9).

Fire managers with both the Coconino and Kaibab national forests have spent the last several days preparing for firing operations (Monday) and Tuesday in order to restore ecological processes for about 9,000 acres of forest land through treatment.

Fire restrictions begin Friday on Coconino National Forest

by Community Contributor • May 29, 2025 • Comments Off

FLAGSTAFF — The Coconino National Forest will implement Stage 1 fire and smoking restrictions 8 a.m., Friday, May 30, to help prevent human-caused fires and to limit the potential for catastrophic wildfires during periods of dangerous fire weather conditions.

Under Stage 1 restrictions, fires, campfires, charcoal, coal, wood stoves and smudge pots are prohibited, except within a developed recreation site. Smoking is also prohibited, except within an enclosed vehicle, building or an official developed recreation site.

Using a device that is solely fueled by pressurized liquid petroleum, propane or LPG fuels that can be turned on and off is allowed in areas that are barren or cleared of all overhead and surrounding flammable materials within 3 feet of the device.

Crews responding to small wildfire east of Mormon Lake

by Community Contributor • May 27, 2025 • Comments Off

FLAGSTAFF — Firefighters are responding to the Corral Fire, a 20-acre wildfire located roughly 2.5 miles east of Mormon Lake, 24 miles southeast of Flagstaff.

Resources assigned to the fire include one Hotshot crew, four engines and a water tender.

Crews plan to conduct several hours of firing operations today to contain the fire to a small footprint using forest roads as holding features.

Prescribed Burns planned on Coconino National Forest next week

by Community Contributor • May 16, 2025 • Comments Off

FLAGSTAFF — As part of important active forest management, fire managers are planning a number of prescribed burn projects next week to reduce hazardous forest fuels in strategic areas of the national forest to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires to many northern Arizona communities.

Prescribed burns are always dependent upon multiple conditions, including personnel availability, fuel conditions, weather and approval from the Arizona Department of Environment Quality. The burns may be changed or canceled last-minute if burn conditions do not meet criteria outlined in advance.

Should wind and weather conditions become unfavorable, ignitions will be halted, and project plans will be postponed, changed or canceled. If that occurs, the updates will be posted on our Coconino NF Prescribed Burn Projects InciWeb page, which is updated any time new information is available. The following projects are listed in chronological order.

Proposed changes to recreation fees on the Coconino National Forest

by Community Contributor • May 12, 2025 • Comments Off

FLAGSTAFF — The Coconino National Forest is proposing changes to recreation fees at various recreation sites on the forest to help maintain highly-visited sites and standardize the recreation pass program for all forest visitors.

Most recreation sites on the forest will not require a fee, with more than 67% of sites on the forest remaining free for general public use and enjoyment. The forest will continue to honor the suite of “America the Beautiful” Interagency Passes and Red Rock Passes at all standard amenity fee sites and provide several fee-free days throughout the year. Also, the Sedona Shuttle program, which provides free transportation from two Park and Ride lots to popular recreation fee sites, will continue to operate.

Active forest management continues across Coconino National Forest next week

by Community Contributor • April 28, 2025 • Comments Off

Prescribed burns planned around Flagstaff (week of Jan. 27)

by Community Contributor • January 27, 2025 • Comments Off

FLAGSTAFF — Area fire managers plan to continue work on local prescribed fire projects – including broadcast burning and pile burning – (week of Jan. 27) while northern Arizona’s wind and weather conditions remain favorable to do so.

Arizona State Department of Forestry and Fire Management and Coconino National Forest fire managers aspire to continue work on this week’s Crater Sinks prescribed burn project located roughly 12 miles southwest of Flagstaff.

Additionally, Coconino National Forest fire managers hope to begin work on pile burns located in various locations around the Flagstaff Ranger District.

Pumphouse Wash forest restoration work beginning south of Flagstaff

by Community Contributor • December 13, 2024 • Comments Off

FLAGSTAFF — Both the Coconino National Forest and Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management are beginning a project aimed at restoring forest lands in the Pumphouse Wash area near Flagstaff’s Kachina Village community this week.

Crews are preparing for timber sales on a 2,500-acre parcel of land located near Kachina Village and Forest Highlands as part of the Pumphouse Community Protection Project.

Timber crews have started delineating project boundaries and designating trees to be removed as part of the thinning project.

Pile burn west of Flagstaff planned for (Nov. 1)

by Community Contributor • November 1, 2024 • Comments Off

FLAGSTAFF — With predicted moisture in the next couple of days, fire managers with the Coconino National Forest are planning on conducting pile burns 4 miles west of Flagstaff, south of Interstate 40 along Naval Observatory Road.

Smoke will be visible to those in Flagstaff and motorists along I-40 and may impact areas of Flagstaff Ranch.

Volunteers sought for replanting trees on SF Peaks

by Community Contributor • August 13, 2024 • Comments Off

FLAGSTAFF — Tree planting has begun on the east side of the San Francisco Peaks across approximately 380 acres, and volunteers are being sought to help in the replanting efforts on Saturday (Aug. 17) from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The planting is taking place between Schultz Pass Road and Waterline Road in an area that was previously replanted after the 2010 Schultz Fire. The 2022 Pipeline and Tunnel fires burned across the same area and resulted in a total loss of 3,000 acres of replanted trees.