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Firefighters continue managing naturally-ignited blazes in area<br>

“The fire is moving at a nice, easy pace,” said Dave Mills, assistant fire management officer for the Tusayan Ranger District. “It is almost entirely a backing and flanking fire, which means it is staying on the ground where we want it. There have been a few areas where it carried into the canopies of the trees, but that has been the exception rather than the rule.”

Mills said he expects the Camp 36 Fire could grow by about another 1,000 acres. At that point, it would largely be surrounded by roads and natural barriers and would likely go out on its own.

On the Williams Ranger District, the Wild Steer Fire has treated 520 acres. The fire, which is located about six miles south of Bill Williams Mountain near Wild Steer Mesa, has been most active along its northern perimeter near Forest Road 41. Firefighters have completed blacklining operations along FR 41 to help ensure that the fire does not cross it.

If warm and dry conditions remain, both wildland fire use fires are expected to continue growing and improving ecosystem health by recycling nutrients, enhancing habitat for wildlife, and reducing the risk of high-intensity wildland fires.

Also on the Williams Ranger District, firefighters completed burning 411 acres near Kendrick Mountain. The prescribed burning cleaned up the accumulation of natural litter on the forest floor in the Kendrick project area. By removing that layer of debris, the risk of high-intensity wildland fires is reduced.

Fire managers plan to continue burning in the 6,400-acre Kendrick project area in the future when conditions are appropriate. The project area is north of where the Pumpkin Fire burned in 2000. By conducting prescribed burns, fire managers plan to expand the acreage that has experienced fire in recent history. That will reduce the risk of large, high-intensity wildland fires.

Fire managers plan to continue a prescribed burn this week near Kendrick Mountain on the Williams Ranger District in order to reduce fuels in the forest and lessen the threat of high-intensity wildland fires.

Fire managers planned to treat about 200 acres yesterday on the northwest side of Kendrick Mountain in an area burned by the Pumpkin Fire in 2000. Burning will likely continue through most of this week as fire managers seek to also treat areas near Horsethief Canyon.

Last week, firefighters completed burning 411 acres in the Kendrick project area. The goal of treatments is to reduce the risk of high-intensity wildland fires by removing the thick layer of natural forest debris that has accumulated in the area.

Since burning has resumed in the Kendrick project area, smoke will likely be visible from Interstate 40 between Flagstaff and Williams.

For more information, contact Jackie Denk at 928-635-5607.


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