Arizona Fire Crews are catching up on prescribed burns thanks to cold, dry weather

On January 25, 2025By Littum

Flagstaff, AZ (Azfamily) – It has been a busy week for firefighters in the high country, as they deal with both wildfires and work with prescribed burns.

This unusually dry winter has both its pros and cons when it comes to preparing for fire season.

Usually this time of year the woods around Flagstaff are covered in snow.

However, this year’s lack of rainfall is a cause for concern for the fire season, but it has also allowed fire crews to prescribe burns earlier.

Coconino National Forest and state firefighters are working on a prescribed burn over 10 miles south of Flagstaff with the goal of treating 1,700 acres of forest.

Randy Shaffer with Coconino National Forest Said prescribed fires in January are rare.

“This is definitely a unique year on the Coconino National Forest,” Shaffer said.

Record heat and a lack of rain this summer and fall in Flagstaff prevented firefighters from conducting their usual fall burns.

Now the dry weather is allowing fire crews to catch up.

“We are taking advantage of these dry conditions to move forward and follow through with our fall prescribed fire plan using this as an opportunity to treat this area of land,” Shaffer said.

The prescribed burn started Wednesday and treated about 900 acres, but freezing temperatures and wind pushed Thursday’s burn back a day.

Shaffer said the cold temperatures provide optimal combustion conditions.

“We have a perfect fuel, moisture temp,” Shaffer said. “This means we are certainly able to burn all of this under these ideal conditions rather than waiting for an unwanted fire place during these summer months.”

However, the lack of snow has also increased the danger of fire in the forest.

“It’s very rare to be in this high fire danger this time of year,” Shaffer said.

Just this week, crews battled a 50-plus blaze outside of Williams.

So with the uncertainty of much-needed snow in the future, Shaffer said they’ll take every opportunity.

“Despite the fact that it is the end of January, we will still be looking for opportunities to complete our prescribed fire projects,” she said.

There are no restrictions on campfires and no forest road closures due to the lack of snow.

Shaffer asks anyone recreating in the woods to be fire safe and properly light their campfire.

For more information on that and how to prepare before fire season, visit the Coconino National Forest’s Homepage by clicking/tapping here.

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