Burnout operations set for remote fires
Jun 21, 2015, 2:31 PM | Updated: 2:31 pm
Fire crews battling the Camillo and Horse Tank fires in the Coconino National Forest will be conducting burnout operations Sunday night.
The burnouts will take place along Arizona highways 87 and 260 and Forest highway 3, otherwise known Lake Mary Road starting around sundown and continue until around midnight.
According to a press release from the U.S. Forest Service, the cooler temperatures and higher humidity will help maintain the low severity of the burn.
The Camillo Fire, located about 20 miles south of Flagstaff just southeast of Mormon Lake, has burned 5,862 acres since it started June 14. The Horse Tank fire is located six miles north of Strawberry, south of Arizona highway 260 near the junction of Arizona 87, has burned 1,518 acres.
Neither fire is located near any structures and the forest department said they are fulfilling their natural and crucial role in the ecosystem.
“The forest needs frequent, low severity fire to restore wildlife habitat, promote healthy vegetation, reduce fuels and the risk of severe fire, and create safer conditions for residents, visitors, and firefighters,” the Forest Service said.
