National Park Service (NPS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) fire personnel will conduct a prescribed burn on up to 580 acres in the Horse Valley Meadow and Yellow John East areas of the Grand Canyon/Parashant National Monument. The burns could start as early as tomorrow, Sept. 12, 2006, and will only be conducted during times with safe weather conditions and when sufficient fire personnel are present to maintain control of the fires. The burn period could last through Sept. 22, 2006.
This prescribed burn is necessary to reduce the abundance of hazardous fuels that have accumulated and grown from higher than normal rainfall in 2004. NPS and BLM fire management experts believe this action is necessary to prevent catastrophic wildfires in the area and will help decrease risks to life, property, and natural and cultural resources in the monument.
Fire personnel do not expect that any roads will need to be temporarily closed. The smoke from this prescribed fire will probably only be visible from the air.
Burn permits will be obtained from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality prior to each burn period.
If you have any questions or concerns, please call the National Park Service fire office at Lake Mead National Recreation area at: 702.293.8989.
The monument is jointly managed by the NPS and BLM.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
