Fire managers are set to begin a large prescribed burn about 10 miles southwest of Flagstaff Wednesday.
It’s a joint effort between the Coconino National Forest and the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, and crews plan to ignite 4,500 acres on a checkerboard of federal and state lands.
Officials say the project has been in the planning stages for more than four years and will complete work to mitigate fire risk near communities.
Firefighters will begin the ignitions on the what’s being called the Crater Sinks Project using a helicopter. The work is expected to last through Friday.
Smoke is expected to travel up and over Flagstaff but it could impact Oak Creek Canyon overnight as temperatures cool.
The work is part of the U.S. Forest Service’s 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy to reduce risk and restore the nation’s forests.