Lightning Fires Grow: Forest Ecosystem Benefits From Low-Intensity Fire
Incident: Point Fire Prescribed Fire
Released: 6/9/2009
Fire specialists on the Coconino National Forest continue to manage several lightning-caused fires to benefit forest natural resources.
- Point Fire - about two miles northeast of Pine, on Milk Ranch Point along the Mogollon Rim. 650 acres, anticipated to grow to about 1,350 acres today. Smoke is visible from Pine, Strawberry, Payson and Verde Valley, and should dissipate by Thursday. Burnout operations over the past thre days have been successful in using low intensity fire to reduce hazardous accumulation of forest fuels. Due to fire operations, Milk Ranch Point, including Forest Roads 218 and 218A, is closed to public access. About 100 personnel from the Coconino and Tonto National Forests and Pine-Strawberry Fire Department are working on this fire; including three 20-person hotshot crews, four engines, one bulldozer and two water tenders.
- Tucker Fire - about eight miles south of the Mogollon Rim/Blue Ridge Ranger Station on Dick Hart Ridge. Estimated 115 acres. Crews are monitoring.
- Real Fire - about 5 miles southeast of Munds Park, east of I-17. Currently 250 acres. Smoke visible from I-17. Due to fire operations a portion of Forest Road 226 is closed to public access. About 24 personnel assigned, including three engines.
- Rattle Ridge Fire - about three miles northwest of Stoneman Lake and east of Interstate 17. Approximately seven acres with increasing activity. Two engines (13 firefighters) are assigned. Public travel is being restricted within the fire area. Smoke is visible from I-17.
These lightning-caused, low-intensity fires benefit the fire-dependant ponderosa pine ecosystem as the fires are being managed for both protection and resource objectives. Fire managers work closely with Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to monitor smoke production.
Information for the Point and Tucker Fires is available at the Mogollon Rim Ranger Station 928-477-2255. Other Fire Information is available at 928-527-3600 and http://www.coconinoforest.us/
