The Phoenix District Bureau of Land Management is planning a routine burning operation to burn brush piles cut from public lands in Yavapai and Maricopa counties.

According to a news release, open burning could take place over several days in April and May if conditions permit.

In Yavapai County, BLM firefighters burn:

• 200 acres of hewn and piled juniper bushes along Indian Creek drainage in Agua Julia National Monument, about 6 miles east of Lake Cordes. and,

• A 39-acre juniper pile about 3 miles east of Skull Valley.

In Maricopa County, it will burn a one-acre pile on the east side of Lake Pleasant about three miles north of California Route 74.

To ensure public safety, BLM firefighters ignite piles only when weather conditions conducive to safe burning. They remain on site to monitor the safety of the public and resources. Local residents may see light smoke during burning operations. Local road closures are not expected.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Act of 2021 funded this prescribed burn. The legislation funds fuel treatments that reduce the risk of devastating wildfires and benefit neighboring communities. Thinning and burning invasive junipers in grasslands also helps open wildlife corridors, reduce predator cover, and improve wildlife forage.

For more information, call 602-818-8295 or email jwonderly@blm.gov.

Information provided by the Department of Land Management.