Pile Burning Work Continues on the Bradshaw RD

Pile Burning Work Continues on the Bradshaw RD
Favorable weather conditions in place for hazardous fuels reduction work
PRESCOTT, Ariz., Dec. 5, 2025 — Fire managers on the Prescott National Forest plan prescribed
fire operations, primarily pile burning, in the Prescott Basin on the Bradshaw Ranger District. The
hand piles are from recent hazardous fuels reduction and thinning projects. Pending all required
approvals, ignitions could begin as early as Monday, Dec. 8, and continue through January 2026 as
conditions remain favorable.
Recent rainfall has created favorable conditions for pile burning in several areas across the forest.
Smoke impacts are expected to be light and visible from Prescott, Prescott Valley, Wilhoit, Chino
Valley, Dewey-Humboldt and surrounding areas. As nighttime temperatures cool, smoke may linger in
drainages and valleys. More information about air quality is available at fire.airnow.gov.
The Prescott National Forest’s land management strategy emphasizes long-term forest health and
reducing forest fuels. Prescribed fire with low to moderate fire behavior can reduce hazardous fuels
and increase forest and community resilience. In the wildland-urban interface, prescribed fire reduces
wildfire risk by creating buffer zones where firefighters have a higher probability of stopping unwanted
wildfires.
All prescribed fire activity depends on personnel and equipment availability, weather, fuels and
approval from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (azdeq.gov). Forest visitors are
reminded to obey traffic signs and use caution near prescribed burns, where firefighters and fire
related traffic will be present.
For more information, please contact the Bradshaw Ranger District at (928) 443-8000. Stay up to
date on Prescott National Forest news by checking the Prescott NF website and following us on
Facebook.
About the Forest Service: The USDA Forest Service has for more than 100 years brought
people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class
science and technology– and rooted in communities–the Forest Service connects people to
nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that
promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres
of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, maintains the largest
wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either
a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of
which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.
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