Phone: (386) 243-0301

Email: OsceolaFireUpdates@gmail.com

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Osceola National Forest

Fire Update

U.S. Forest Service

National Forests in Florida

325 John Knox Road
Tallahassee, FL 32303

http://www.fs.usda.gov/florida

The North School Section Prescribed Fire will begin on Sunday, June 2nd. This prescribed fire is to reduce potential of large wildfires and to regenerate native plant species, such as blueberries. Due to smoke from prescribed fires in the Northeastern Minnesota region, an air quality forecast of Moderate for the Tofte and Ely areas has been issued. Moderate Air Quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people. Smoke could collect on road between Ely and the shore of Lake Superior especially at night. When seeing smoke, slow down. See air quality report below for more information.

KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Calif. May 24, 2020 – This morning there was a successful test fire on the Cedar Central Prescribed Burn. After observations, the burn boss and fire management staff, made the decision to continue with the prescribed burn in Kings Canyon National Park. Three to four days of ignitions are planned.

 

The Cedar Central Prescribed Burn is located east of Moraine Campground, north and south of Highway 180, west of Roads End, and on both sides of the Kings River.

 

This is the second phase of the Cedar Central Prescribed Burn that was started in June 2019 in which 218-acres of the 463-acre total project were completed. The areas of focus were last treated between 2011 and 2008. Historic fire return interval in this area averages every three to ten years. The purpose of this prescribed burn is to reduce hazardous fuel loading and maintain the natural fire cycle in Cedar Grove.

 

Smoke impacts are expected to be limited to Cedar Grove, and will lessen as fuels within the prescribed burn area are consumed and ultimately self-extinguish.

 

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks work with the San Joaquin Air Pollution Control District to coordinate and regulate smoke contributions to the airshed. For more information about air quality in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, visit go.nps.gov/sekiair or regional information about air quality, visit www.valleyair.org

KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Calif. May 12, 2020 – Fire managers from Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks have scheduled the first prescribed burn of 2020 in the Cedar Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park to occur between now and the end of May. This is the second phase of the Cedar Central Prescribed Burn that was started in June 2019 in which 218-acres of the 463-acre total project were completed.

 

The Cedar Central Prescribed Burn is located east of Moraine Campground, north and south of Highway 180, and on both sides of the Kings River. Ignitions for the remaining 245-acres are expected to take three to four days.

 

Firefighters will be following U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and agency best management practices to mitigate the hazards and risks associated with COVID-19 during this project. Additionally, the National Park Service is working through established frameworks to consider prescribed burn impacts, including potential smoke impacts on people and communities who may be at risk.

 

“Cedar Grove is a very remote section of Kings Canyon National Park with little chance of public exposure to smoke this time of year,” said John Ziegler, parks’ fire management officer. “Conducting this project now, through active management, we are reducing our wildfire risk and ensuring the health of our parks for generations.”

 

If Cedar Grove is open during the ignition period, firefighters will be working along Highway 180. Visitors are asked to drive slowly, use caution at night, and follow directions from firefighters and rangers. Additionally, visitors should expect to see smoldering logs and wispy smoke as fuels in the area continue to burn down after ignitions are over.

 

Historic fire return interval in this area averages every three to ten years. The purpose of this prescribed burn is to reduce hazardous fuel loading and maintain the natural fire cycle in Cedar Grove. The areas of focus were last treated between 2011 and 2008.

 

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks work closely with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District to coordinate and regulate smoke contributions to the airshed. For more information about air quality in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks visit go.nps.gov/sekiair. For regional information about air quality, visit www.valleyair.org.

 

For updates about the Cedar Central Prescribed Burn, visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6353/.

-NPS-

About Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks’ Fire Management Program

For over fifty years, our mission has been to use the full range of options and strategies available to manage fire in the parks. This includes protecting park resources, employees, and the public from unwanted fire; building and maintaining fire resilient ecosystems; reducing the threat to local communities from wildfires emanating from the parks or adjacent lands; and recruiting, training, and retaining a professional fire management workforce.

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KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Calif. June 12, 2017 – Fire staff completed ignitions on the last segment of the Cedar Central Prescribed Burn unit yesterday evening, for a total of 218 acres treated since Monday. With ignitions complete, firefighters will continue to patrol the area as vegetation inside the unit burns down.

“After so much late rain this spring, it’s great that we were able to get this project done before the hottest part of summer gets here,” says Andrew Cremers, fuels technician and burn boss trainee. “Maintaining the fire regime in Cedar Grove is good for forest and watershed health, and it also protects these high-use visitor areas as we get into peak wildfire season.”

The Cedar Central Prescribed Burn is located east of Moraine Campground, north of Highway 180, and south and west of the Kings River. Visitors driving or hiking near the area may see smoke and/or areas of active flame, and are asked to exercise caution, stay on trails, and observe signage and directions from park staff.

Smoke impacts are expected to be limited to Cedar Grove, and will lessen as fuels within the prescribed burn area are consumed and ultimately self-extinguish.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks work with the San Joaquin Air Pollution Control District to coordinate and regulate smoke contributions to the airshed. For more information about air quality in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks visit go.nps.gov/sekiair. For regional information about air quality visit www.valleyair.org.

For updates on fires in the parks, visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6353/

-NPS-

About Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks’ Fire Management Program

For over fifty years, our mission has been to use the full range of options and strategies available to manage fire in the parks. This includes protecting park resources, employees, and the public from unwanted fire; building and maintaining fire resilient ecosystems; reducing the threat to local communities from wildfires emanating from the parks or adjacent lands; and recruiting, training, and retaining a professional fire management workforce.

KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Calif. June 10, 2019 – Following a successful test burn this morning and a determination by the burn boss and fire management staff, ignitions have begun on the Cedar Central Prescribed Burn in Kings Canyon National Park. Three days of ignitions are planned.

The Cedar Central Prescribed Burn is located in Cedar Grove, east of Moraine Campground, north of Highway 180, and south and west of the Kings River. The purpose of this 218-acre prescribed burn is to reduce hazardous fuel loading and restore/maintain the natural fire cycle in the Cedar Grove. This area was last treated with prescribed burning in 2010. The current prescribed burn mimics the historic fire return interval in this area, which is approximately three to ten years.

Smoke impacts are expected to be limited to Cedar Grove, and will lessen as fuels within the prescribed burn area are consumed and ultimately self-extinguish. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks work with the San Joaquin Air Pollution Control District to coordinate and regulate smoke contributions to the airshed. For more information about air quality in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, visit go.nps.gov/sekiair or regional information about air quality, visit www.valleyair.org For updates about the Cedar East Prescribed Burn visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6353/.

-NPS-

About Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks’ Fire Management Program For over fifty years, our mission has been to use the full range of options and strategies available to manage fire in the parks. This includes protecting park resources, employees, and the public from unwanted fire; building and maintaining fire resilient ecosystems; reducing the threat to local communities from wildfires emanating from the parks or adjacent lands; and recruiting, training, and retaining a professional fire management workforce.

KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Calif. June 3, 2019 – Starting on Monday, June 10, fire staff from Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are planning to conduct the first prescribed burn of calendar year 2019 in the Cedar Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park.

The Cedar Central Prescribed Burn is located east of Moraine Campground, north of Highway 180, and south and west of the Kings River. Ignitions on the 218-acre Cedar Central Prescribed Burn are expected to take three days.

During the ignition period, firefighters will be working along Highway 180. Visitors are asked to drive slowly, use caution at night, and follow directions from firefighters and rangers. Additionally, visitors should expect to see smoldering logs and wispy smoke as fuels in the area continue to burn down after ignitions are over.

Historic fire return interval in this area averages every three to ten years. The purpose of this prescribed burn is to reduce hazardous fuel loading and maintain the natural fire cycle in Cedar Grove. This specific unit last had a prescribed burn in 2010.

“Cedar Grove is a highly-visited and remote area of Kings Canyon National Park,” said Andrew Cremers, Cedar Central Prescribed Burn Boss Trainee. “By having contemporary fire history, the area becomes more sustainable ecologically, safer for the public and firefighters during wildfires, and is a much more cost-effective approach to fire management.”

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks work closely with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District to coordinate and regulate smoke contributions to the airshed. For more information about air quality in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks visit go.nps.gov/sekiair. For regional information about air quality, visit www.valleyair.org.

For updates about the Cedar Central Prescribed Burn, visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6353/.

-NPS-

About Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks’ Fire Management Program

For over fifty years, our mission has been to use the full range of options and strategies available to manage fire in the parks. This includes protecting park resources, employees, and the public from unwanted fire; building and maintaining fire resilient ecosystems; reducing the threat to local communities from wildfires emanating from the parks or adjacent lands; and recruiting, training, and retaining a professional fire management workforce.

Grand Canyon National Park fire managers anticipate initiating prescribed pile burning this week as weather and fuel moisture conditions allow. As part of the South Rim Piles Project, they will burn 3,500 piles of woody debris east and west of South Entrance Road and south of Highway 64 (Desert View Drive) East. These 5'x5'x5' piles are comprised of slash left after mechanical thinning or cutting of trees within the 150 acre project area, and are being burned as part of a key objective of the project, which is to reduce the fuel load.

Smoke from the South Rim Piles Project will be most visible during ignition operations and will likely gradually diminish after ignitions are completed. Smoke impacts to Highway 64 should be minimal, but drivers are advised to move along the highway slowly with their lights on, avoid stopping in areas where fire personnel are working, and follow directions of signs and personnel. There are no road closures anticipated at this time.

Smoke will also be visible from various locations on the North and South rims, including Grand Canyon Village. Fire managers are working with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality-Smoke Management Division to reduce and mitigate potential smoke impacts.

Prescribed fires play an important role in decreasing risks to life, resources, and property. Fire managers carefully plan prescribed fires, initiating them only under environmental conditions that are favorable to firefighter and visitor safety and achieving the desired objectives. Prescribed fire objectives include reducing accumulations of hazard fuels, maintaining the natural role of fire in a fire-adapted ecosystem, and protection of sensitive natural and cultural resources.

Information about the South Rim Piles Project can be found on Twitter @GrandCanyonNPS, on Inciweb at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov, or by calling 928-638-7819 for recorded fire information. Visit https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/management/firemanagement.htm for additional information about wildland fire at Grand Canyon National Park.

DOLORES, Colo., April 21, 2022—The San Juan National Forest’s Dolores Ranger District is planning to conduct several prescribed burns potentially starting in late April. Burning operations will take place over multiple days when weather and fuel conditions are favorable and may continue throughout the summer and fall based on conditions. Both hand and aerial ignition methods may be utilized, following the weather, fuel, smoke and safety parameters stated in the prescribed fire plan. Burning operations will be conducted by qualified U.S. Forest Service personnel assisted by fire resources from cooperating agencies. 

Project areas identified for burn implementation are: ·         Boggy Draw: 1,554 acres located 3 to 10 miles northeast of Dolores, along the Dolores-Norwood Road (FSR 526) near Little Bean Canyon and Boggy Draw Road (FSR 527). ·         Haycamp Mesa: 3,025 acres located 10 miles east of Dolores, along the Haycamp Mesa Road, Forest Service Road (FSR) 556 & 557.    Reintroduction of prescribed fire is necessary to improve and restore vegetative conditions. This effort will reduce hazardous ground fuels, lessen the risk of unplanned large-scale wildfire, help restore ponderosa pine ecosystems and improve wildlife habitat. Prescribed fire also reduces the ladder fuels that can carry fire into the canopy, killing mature trees.   During burning operations, smoke may be visible around the communities of Mancos, Dolores, Dove Creek, Cortez, and HWY 491 between Dove Creek and Pleasant View. Smoke may settle into low lying valleys and the Dolores River Canyon overnight. Smoke monitoring will be conducted, and ignitions will be scheduled to minimize smoke impacts to surrounding communities.   Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. More information can be found online: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health   Maps of the prescribed burn units and additional San Juan National Forest prescribed fire program news can be found on InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6288/. For more information, please contact Fire Management Officer Patrick Seekins, by email at patrick.seekins@usda.gov or by phone at (970) 882-6836.     For information on the San Juan National Forest, call (970) 247-4874, visit the forest website, or follow us on social media (Twitter and Facebook).  

-USDA-

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The San Juan National Forest is planning on conducting the following prescribed burns in Spring 2022, as conditions allow: 

Columbine Ranger District (maps below):
 

VP1A NW (1318 acres) 

VP1B (672 acres)

VP1C (295 acres) 

VP2D (181 acres) 

  

Dolores Ranger District (map below):
The most likely order of prescribed burns is as follows, depending on weather conditions:

1st Boggy Draw: 4331 total acres 

-Units 17: 346 acres, 18: 335 acres, 20: 454 acres 

2nd Haycamp Mesa: 4586 total acres 

-Unit 9: 703 acres 

3rd Boggy Draw 

-Unit 32 340 acres , Unit 45: 1200 acres. 

4th Haycamp Mesa

-Unit 6 2322 acres, Unit 5 1561 acres 

5th Salter: 3013 total acres 

- Units 43: 241 acres, 44: 399 acres, 31: 467 acres, 32: 340 acres, 39: 299 acres, 41: 550 acres, 47: 717 acres. 

Total acre potential for Dolores Ranger District: 11,930 

 

Pagosa Springs Ranger District (map below):
 
The District will burn 1,042 acres in Brockover-Devil Creek burn plan, as conditions allow. Units 5, 8 and B will be include in 2022.