Smoke from prescribed burns in the Coconino National Forest has been hanging in the air in the Verde Valley over the last few days. The source of the smoke is the Horseshoe burn 8.5 miles north of Bellemont and the Upper Beaver Creek prescribed fire project in the Red Rock Ranger District. According to U.S Forest Service spokesman Brady Smith, the Beaver Creek burn project is scheduled to run intermittently through Wednesday, Oct. 25.

“Any time we do any of these prescribed burns, they’re built upon a prescription plan, because that area hasn’t seen fire for a while and needs fire across the landscape to help manage the fuels,” Smith said. “That has many different benefits. One of them is to protect and create a buffer so that we have a fighting chance when and if a lightning-caused wildfire begins or a human-caused wildfire begins. It also helps manage the area and keep the fuels a lot less thick.”

The Upper Beaver Creek treatment area involves approximately 1,000 acres and is intended to reduce fuels around the Stoneman Lake community as well as protecting the Apache Maid Cabin near Happy Jack. The cabin is a 520-square-foot building that was constructed in 1909 by Charles Babbitt as housing for cattlemen, and later served as a U.S Forest Service facility. The Horseshoe Project was anticipated to burn an additional 6,080 acres, with estimated completion on Thursday, Oct. 19.

The Coconino National Forest, along with the Kaibab, Apache-Sitgreaves and Tonto National Forests, is involved in a program called the Four Forest Restoration Initiative. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocated $1.4 billion to the Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy, including $111 million in fiscal year 2023 planned to be spent on burning an additional 200,000 acres.

“There’s a couple of times of the year that we do prescribed burns, and this is a fall prescribed burn season,” Smith said. “This is typically the time of the year that you’re going to see a lot more smoke in the air. Because the conditions are such to allow us to do these projects. We know it can cause smoke impacts and health impacts to people. So if they’re able to leave the area or close their windows and doors, and turn on the air conditioning, that can help as well, but just to be aware of it and that it’s an end to it [and] it’s not going to be forever.”

Red Rock Ranger District’s Upper Beaver Creek Prescribed Fire project:

• When: Beginning Oct. 15 and running intermittently through Oct. 25
• Where:Located near Stoneman Lake(link is external)
• Why: This fire will reduce hazardous fuels around the Stoneman Lake community and will protect the Apache Maid Cabin.
• Size: Roughly 1,000 acres
• Method/ type of burn: A combination of initial entry and broadcast maintenance. Maintenance burns usually mean wildfire has recently been through the area, which tends to mean less smoke since forest fuels will not be as thick or built up over time. Initial entry burns mean wildfire has not been through the area in a very long time and thus results in thicker smoke due to a large amount of forest fuels being present that must be burned.
• Duration: This fire is a multi-day project spread out over 10 days. Ignition could occur on any day if weather conditions allow.
• Smoke impacts: Light to moderate smoke impacts are expected. Smoke will impact the Stoneman Lake communities, the Interstate 17 corridor at Forest Road 215 (Stoneman Lake Road and Rattlesnake Canyon), the Beaver Creek area and areas south of Mormon Lake Village.
• Closures/ restrictions: There are no anticipated road or trail closures.

Flagstaff Ranger District’s Horseshoe Prescribed Fire project:

• When: Oct. 16 through Oct. 19
• Where: 8.5 miles north of Bellemont(link is external)
• Why: To reduce fuel loading in the project area. By returning fire to a fire-adapted ecosystem in regular intervals, the FRD will build a healthier and more resilient landscape.
• Size: 6,080 acres
• Method/ type of burn: Broadcast and maintenance
• Duration: Four days
• Smoke impacts: Daytime smoke impacts will be felt along Highway 180 around the Arizona Nordic Village and Kendrick Park. Nighttime impacts will be felt in the Bellemont area and along Interstate 40.
• Closures/ restrictions: A temporary closure to Lava River Cave will be implemented during a portion of the burn