TUCSON, AZ — Residents and visitors near Oracle may see smoke over the next several weeks, but it is expected to come from planned pile burns south of town, not an active wildfire.
The Coronado National Forest has started the second phase of its Oracle Fuel Break project, with pile burning scheduled through Sept. 15, weather and other conditions permitting.
The burns are taking place on national forest land south of Oracle as crews work to reduce vegetation that could fuel a future wildfire near homes and private property. Smoke may be visible in and around Oracle during burn operations.
The work will help create a 300-foot-wide fuel break covering 60 acres next to private property. Forest officials say the goal is not to stop a wildfire altogether, but to reduce its intensity and give firefighters a better chance to protect Oracle if flames move toward the community.
The fuel break can also give crews an anchor point for building containment lines during prescribed burns and wildfires.
The first phase of the project covered 34 acres and was completed earlier this year. Crews chipped and removed vegetation, improved roads and fire breaks, and completed restoration work.
The current phase covers the remaining 26 acres. Crews will burn hand-built piles of vegetation that are at least 8 feet tall and 10 feet wide.
Before each burn, fire managers will assess weather and other conditions. Planned ignitions may be postponed if conditions are not favorable.
Once the full fuel break is in place, the Forest Service expects to maintain it every two to three years. Maintenance could include removing grass, brush and shrub litter, thinning low-hanging vegetation and rebuilding containment lines where needed.
The Oracle Fuel Break is part of the larger Catalina-Rincon Mountains FireScape, a wildfire-prevention effort spanning about 265,000 acres of national forest land in Pima, Pinal and Cochise counties.
People concerned about smoke can check AirNow for current air-quality information.
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