Controlled Fires Scheduled In Southern Arizona To Prevent The Spread Of Wildfires

By Mythili Gubbi
Published: Sunday, February 10, 2019 - 5:05am

The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management will be burning grass and brush to remove fuel and prevent the spread of wildfires. More than 2,000 acres of grassland in southern Arizona near Bisbee could be burned by the end of the month.

Normally, forestry officials rely on social and local media to get the word to communities about smoke and possible hazards. But because of the large area being burned, the amount time it will take and the remote location of these communities, the officials are hosting a public forum next week for the local residents.

“The communities are spread out a little bit, but they’re also communities that get wildfires," said spokesperson Tiffany Davila at the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management. “So when they see smoke, you know, we don’t want them to panic.”

The prescribed fires will be in multiple stages and will eventually burn about 35,000 acres in Cochise County during the next year or so.

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