Mount Lemmon prescribed burns started today

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Many of you are curious about the smoke coming from the Catalinas. Prescribed burns started today on Mount Lemmon to slow the spread of wildfires.

For today’s prescribed burn, firefighters are using a tool called a drip torch to lay fire on the ground. This method is preferred because it’s easier to control where the fire is placed.

The Coronado National Forest Service has been planning this burn carefully for years.

“We look at everything from wildlife impacts, we look at the seasonal effects that are happening, we look at how many resources are available,” said Starr Farrell, the Public Affairs Officer for the Coronado National Forest Service.

Just a few weeks ago, everything was set to start the burn. It was canceled several times because the conditions were not optimal.

“We were looking for weather, for humidity, just everything that led us not to do those burns,” said Farrell.

The burn was even postponed for a short period today due to the ground being too wet.

The prescribed burn officially started around 11 AM to slow the spread of a potential wildfire.

“What it does is it puts fire back on the landscape and it helps to decrease the fuel load and put those nutrients back into the soil,” she said.

Prior to the burn, the forest service let the Mount Lemmon community know what they can expect.

Pamela Selby-Harmon has been a part of the community for around 30 years. “We were in the house that burned down in the Aspen fire for 16 years. So, when you’ve gone through something like a catastrophic wildfire you know it kind of puts the world in perspective, and you appreciate things like the forest service doing prescribed burns and taking care of some of the extra fuels,” she said.

If you’re looking up at Mount Lemmon over the next few days, you can expect to see smoke as the fire burns across the prescribed 92 acres.