There have been 7 prescribed fires in recent months, Where are they?

Laura Daniella Sepulveda, Arizona Republic
·3 min read

Two controlled fires were expected to be set this week in Coconino and Kaibab national forests as part of a state effort to keep severe large wildfires from happening.

Prescribed burns are part of an an initiative from The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and the Arizona Department of Forestry and Land Management to maintain the health of fire-dependent ecosystems, which have a large presence in northern Arizona. Here's when and where they are burning.

Are there more prescribed fires this year?

According to Coconino National Forest spokesperson Brady Smith, prescribed burns are usually done from March until May, but unusual weather conditions this year led to a late start and end.

"The weather patterns we've had this year have allowed us to pull some moisture to do prescribed burns later and carry on into June," Smith said. "We try to do them whenever we have conditions that allow us to do them."

Most burns are done in confined areas of 500 up to 2000 acres, Smith said. This year, however, three prescribed burns of over 4,000 acres have already began and there were more planned.

Smith said there's a lot of pre-planning that goes on before a prescribed burn takes place and the areas are carefully selected.

More: Phoenix still has better air quality than East Coast despite pollution advisory

Where are prescribed fires happening in Arizona?

These prescribed fire projects are currently burning or are planned for upcoming days:

  • Horseshoe-Wild Bill project: 1,332 acres are expected to burn from June 14 through June 15 in Coconino National Forest, about 11 miles northwest of Flagstaff. Smoke might disperse near the San Francisco Peaks and along the highway during the day. Nighttime smoke may disperse southwest to Bellemont and may impact Interstate 40. Completed portions of this project happened from April 26 through May 10.

  • Road Hollow: Over 4,000 acres were expected to burn starting on June 14 in Kaibab National Forest west of the Demotte Campground and north of the Rainbow Rim.

  • Crater Sinks project: The 4,500-acre burn was completed on June 9. It burned urning about 10 miles southwest of Flagstaff.

  • Sawmill project: This project expects to burn 5,000 acres in Coconino National Forest east of Hutch Mountain and Lake Mary Road. About 1,200 acres have already burned during completed portions of the project from May 9 through May 11.

  • Marteen Project: About 4,200 acres are expected to burn in Kaibab National Forest about five miles northwest of Spring Valley, east of Red Hill. The prescribed fire began on May 1 and was still burning as of May 27, according to inciweb. Smoke can potentially impact areas of Spring Valley Cabin and Forest Road 141.

  • Blue Stem Project: 3,885 acres were burning as of May 27 in Kaibab National Forest about 15 miles northeast of State Route 64 and Red Butte near Russell Tank. Smoke impacts were expected to be minimal.

  • Reed Project: The fire was set in Kaibab National Forest, just east of Tusayan, on May 1 and was still burning as of May 27, according to Inciweb. The fire was expected to reach 1,370 acres. Smoke may be visible from State Route 64 and the Grand Canyon and daytime winds could carry smoke northeast.

Smith warned surrounding communities of heavy smoke can potentially reach neighboring residences. To learn more about how smoke could impact your area, you can go to airnow.gov.

Learn more: How do wildfires affect Arizona air quality? What to know to stay safe

Members of the public were also asked not to call the forest service to report prescribed fires to keep the line open for wildfire emergencies.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Where are prescribed fires burning in Arizona?