Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: A wildfire burns along the Gila River in Pima on Sunday, April 17. The Clifton Ranger District on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests is planning on doing a prescribed burn starting Monday.
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Springerville— The Clifton Ranger District on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests is planning to proceed with the Mesa Re-Entry prescribed burn project beginning as soon as Monday, April 18 and activity could extend through the end of the month as conditions allow.
The Mesa Re-Entry prescribed burn project is spread across approximately 8,000 acres, and smoke will be expected to be seen through the month of April, depending on weather conditions. The project area is bounded to the north and west by Pine Flat Road (FR 515), to the south by Upper Eagle Creek Road (FR 217), and to the east by sections of Corral Creek and Sheep Wash Canyon.
Public safety notices will be posted in the vicinity of the project, and travelers should use caution when in the area. Fire planners expect to take advantage of forecasted cool temperatures and lower winds in the coming days, and the project area will include a comprehensive safety strategy including control features and pretreating vulnerable areas.
Prescribed fires like the Mesa Re-Entry project are part of the Forest Service’s comprehensive 10-year strategy for protecting communities and improving resilience in America’s forests. The intent of the Wildfire Management Strategy is to increase fuels treatments that help firefighters respond safely to incidents, restore and maintain resilient landscapes, and create fire-adapted communities. The plan calls for treating up to an additional 20 million acres of National Forest System lands, and up to an additional 30 million acres of other federal, state, tribal, and private lands.
Smoke is expected to be visible along Highway 191, Morenci, and the community of Eagle Creek but is not expected to impact travel. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures. Information on air quality and active prescribed burns can be found on the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s webpage: https://azdeq.gov/.
The public can obtain additional information by calling the Clifton Ranger District at (928) 687-8600
