PAYSON, AZ – Officials from Forest Service Fire management will commence a prescribed burn next week on the upper portions of a mountain just north of the Valley.
The burns will take place on Mount Ord, located halfway between Payson and Fountain Hills and just two miles east of State Highway 87.
Officials say that the smoke from the burn will be visible from the Beeline Highway and to residents in the Tonto Basin, Payson, and Sunflower areas.
The prescribed burns are reportedly meant to reduce the amount of flammable materials in the area during a brushfire.
Forest Service Fire officials cite this method as key in preventing the spread of the Edge Fire in 2005 and encourage the usage of low-intensity burns as a preventative measure against large brush fires.
The burning could take several weeks to finish and will be subject to the weather conditions throughout the upcoming days.
