Sedona AZ (October 28, 2013) – The USFS fire management team has cancelled several Coconino National Forest prescribed burns planned for today due to high winds. The burns will proceed this week when conditions permit.

Planned burns for this week include:

Eastside Project: Heckethorn –105 acres located south of Flagstaff and Little America , northeast of Lake Mary Road, behind the Heckethorn neighborhood.

Eastside Project: Elden Lookout Road –125 acres on Elden Lookout Road , just north of Flagstaff, AZ. This burn is within the Flagstaff Watershed Protection Project, the partnership effort between the USFS, City of Flagstaff, Coconino County, and State of Arizona to reduce the risk of severe fire and flooding in the Rio De Flag and Lake Mary Watersheds. Visit www.flagstaffwatershedprotection.org to learn more about the various aspects of this project which is scheduled to begin on Tuesday.

Cononino Forest prescribed burns cancelled

Fort Valley Project – Planned for Wednesday and Thursday of this week – it consists of 400 acres located north east of Highway 180, approximately eight miles northwest of Flagstaff.

Pete Project – Alternate project if the forecast storm system creates weather and ventilation conditions not suitable for burning adjacent to town. 1,000 acres located northeast of the San Francisco Peaks.

Victorine Project – Planned through Thursday, up to 1,500 acres located southeast of Highway 87, east of Blue Ridge Reservoir.

The Coconino National Forest operates a Prescribed Fire Recorded Hotline at 928-226-4607. For more information, visit www.fs.usda.gov/goto/coconino/rxfire.

Fire managers on the Verde Ranger District are planning to conduct prescribed fire applications beginning today and continuing over the next two weeks near Mingus Mountain, Whitehorse Subdivision, and Cherry. Predicted weather conditions look favorable for operations on the Jeronimo, Tex Canyon, and Logan Mine prescribed fire areas but are subject to change.

Jeronimo Project – Approximately 950 acres, located north and east of FS Road 413 and south of FS Road 104 (T15N, R2E, Sec 10, 15, 16, & 23) and is designed to reduce fuel loads, return fire to its natural role in the ecosystem, and reduce the potential for a damaging wildfire to impact the Mingus Mountain Recreation Area, summer recreation residences, and critical communications facilities. Trails 110 and 111 will be closed during burning operations.

Tex Canyon Project – Approximately 3500 acres north and east of the Whitehorse Subdivision in the Dewey-Humboldt area (T14N, R2E, Sec 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, & 34) and is designed to reduce fuel loads, return fire to its natural role in the ecosystem, reduce the potential for a damaging wildfire to impact the Whitehorse Subdivision; and in cooperation with the Arizona Game and Fish Department to improve wildlife habitat.

Logan Mine Project – Approximately 220 acres located south and east of Cherry (T14N, R3E, Sec 22, 27 & 28) and is designed to reduce fuel loads, return fire to its natural role in the ecosystem, and reduce the potential for a damaging wildfire to impact the community of Cherry.

All prescribed fires activity is dependent on the availability of personnel and equipment, weather, fuels and conditions that minimize smoke impacts as best as possible and approval from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (www.azdeq.govhttp://www.azdeq.gov/).

The public can obtain additional prescribed fire information via the following:

• Prescott NF Fire Information Hotline: (928) 777-5799

• Prescott NF Forest Website: http://www.fs.usda.gov/prescott/

• Local Ranger Stations: Bradshaw Ranger District, (928) 443-8000; Chino Valley Ranger District (928) 777-2200; Verde Ranger District (928) 567-4121