/ Modified may 19, 2017 10:41 a.m.

Official on Pinal Fire: 'What Nature's Intended to Do'

Fire managers have been waiting for this kind of burn to help restore the forest.

pinal fire The Pinal Fire, south of Globe.
Courtesy of inciweb.nwcg.gov

For fire managers, the 263-acre Pinal Fire presents not just a challenge, but an opportunity.

After 65 years without a wildfire, the question wasn’t if a tinderbox of dead trees and forest litter six miles south of Globe would burn, but when.

The answer came when lightning struck around May 8, and forest managers couldn’t be happier. For years, they’ve planned to use such a low-intensity burn to restore the resiliency of the fire-adapted ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forest.

“The fire will stay very low-intensity, and it’s just going to clean up the forest floor and do what nature’s intended to do,” said Brad Widhalm with the Tonto National Forest.

Managers hope the fire will clear 12,000 acres, but plant and moisture conditions could limit the burn to about half that area. Meanwhile, fire crews will ensure private land, recreation facilities and infrastructure remain safe.

By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona