Coconino National Forest firefighters are planning prescribed burns on roughly 2,000-acres of forest land east of Interstate 17 near the Stoneman Lake exit, 11 miles southeast of Sedona, between Tuesday, March 16, and Thursday, March 18.

In a press release, USFS said fire crews are taking advantage of the “favorable weather conditions” this week, and plan fire treatments on two separate 1,000-acre areas over two days, though wind and weather conditions could stretch the operation further into the week, as late as March 21.

USFS stated that no forest roads or trails are expected to be closed during the operation.

Smoke will be visible from I-17, but fire personnel do not predict significant smoke impacts in the Verde Valley, though, “During evening hours, smoke could lightly impact the Rimrock and Camp Verde communities overnight as it drains down canyons,” according to the release

“Prescribed burns are one of the most effective tools available to resource managers for restoring fire-dependent ecosystems,” the release stated. “Each prescribed burn is designed to meet specific objectives, which includes proactively protecting communities from the threat of extreme wildfires by reducing forest fuels.”

The timing of prescribed burns is dependent on weather conditions, as well as approval from Arizona Department of Environmental Quality [ADEQ]. The public can view approved prescribed burns on ADEQ’s website at smoke.azdeq.gov. Coconino National Forest burns begin with the designator COF.