Media Advisory

USDA Forest Service

Tonto National Forest

Tonto National Forest begins prescription fires on Pleasant Valley Ranger District Next Week

Young, Arizona (October 8, 2009) – Tonto National Forest fire management officials will start conducting a prescription fire in the Cherry analysis area on the Pleasant Valley Ranger District in mid-October.  Operations will be contingent on optimal weather conditions.  Beginning on Oct. 13, fire specialists will begin to create a black line around the burn block of approximately 2,500 acres.  After the black line operation is complete, an aerial ignition process will be applied to the interior portion of the burn block.  Burning is projected to continue through November. 

The Cherry prescription fire will be along the west side of State Highway 288. The boundaries for the Peters Corral block are: Beginning at Forest Service (FS) road 238 and State Hwy. 288, south on Hwy. 288 to FS road 416 (Buzzard Roost Rd.) west along FS road 416 to Two-Track road, east to private land boundary, continuing east along southern boundary of private land, at the southeast corner north to junction of private land and FS road 238, north along southern side of FS road 238 to the starting point.

Several hundred acres will be burned daily, depending on weather and air quality conditions.  Burn requests must be approved by Arizona Department of Environmental Quality for each day of the burning operations.  Residual smoke may be seen for several days after ignition. 

For further information, contact the Pleasant Valley Ranger District, at 928-462-4300 or stay updated on forest prescribed burns at www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto.

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