The skies in northern Arizona will fill with smoke the first week of May.

As part of the healthy forest initiative, George Jozens with the Coconino National Forest said crews will burn five areas to get excess fuel off the ground while the weather cooperates.

Besides clearing wildland fuel before the fire season kicks in, the prescribed burns will help revitalize the forest.

"It also puts nutrients back in the ground with the ash, because here in the southwest, we don't get that rot that you get in the eastern forest," Jozens said. "In order to get nutrients back into the ground, you need to burn that waste that's on the ground."

Drivers in the areas along State Route 180 and Interstate 40 near Flagstaff will see the smoke.

Jozens said, if it's happening during the day, it's likely a prescribed burn.