FREDONIA, Ariz. — Fire managers on the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest are planning to conduct prescribed fires throughout the spring as conditions allow, starting with the Jolly Sink Unit prescribed burn located southeast of Jacob Lake, Arizona.
Crews plan to begin ignitions on Monday, June 12, 2023, burning up to 2,536 acres throughout the week. Smoke may be visible from state Routes 67 and 89A, the Jacob Lake area and the towns of Fredonia, Arizona and Kanab, Utah.
Daytime winds are predicted to carry the smoke in a northeast direction, according to a forest service news release. Residual smoke may settle into drainages and low-lying areas around the Kaibab Plateau and House Rock Valley overnight. The portion of the Arizona Trail in the area will be temporarily re-routed along FR 205.
Other projects planned for 2023 are as follows:
- Three Lakes Unit (3,081 acres): Located south of Jacob Lake west of State Route 67
- Road Hollow North Unit (1,739 acres) and Road Hollow North Unit (2,281 acres): Located along Forest Roads 22 and 425
“Exact ignition dates are unknown as burning is dependent upon daily agency administrator approval and conditions within the ranges outlined in each prescribed fire plan,” the forest service stated. “However, we are committed to providing the public with ongoing updates and as much advance notice as possible.”
The forest service land management strategy is centered on long-term forest health, including reducing forest fuels and using prescribed fire on the landscape. Prescribed fires help reduce hazardous fuels that have accumulated due to drought, climate change, insects and disease, and decades of fire suppression.
Prescribed burns also recycle nutrients back to the soil, promote the growth of trees, wildflowers, and other plants, and improve habitat for threatened and endangered species, according to the news release.
“These efforts align with the Forest Service’s 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy which aims to increase prescribed fire and other treatments to improve forest resiliency for generations to come,” stated the government media alert. “We recognize that smoke can impact residents, visitors, and our fire personnel. We will continue to coordinate closely with our partners and communities to minimize smoke impacts as much as possible.
All prescribed fires on the Kaibab National Forest are subject to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality prescribed burn standards.
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