The United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge will be conducting a series of prescribed fires, beginning May 19th and continuing until the end of the month. The Refuge is continuing a proactive approach by using fire as a management tool. The 2004 goal of 16,000 acres will reduce future possibility of while enhancing critical wildlife habitat.
Prescribed burning, under an approved plan with adequate firefighting resources, is the best method to prevent loss from a wildfire. Firefighters from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Arivaca Fire Department, Rio Rico Fire Department and the Tohono O? Odham Nation will be assisting local Refuge Fire Management personnel during the month of May.
Historically, natural fires occurred every five to ten years but fire suppression efforts, along with development and grazing, have altered the natural cycle. Mesquite trees have flourished with the absence of fire and these trees continue to dominate the Refuge, choking out the once open Sonoran grassland.
Prescribed burning reduces the total amount of vegetation and promotes native species that have naturally evolved with fire. Refuge biologists work closely with Refuge fire personnel to develop a plan that will benefit wildlife and promote the habitat needs of endangered species such as the Masked Bobwhite Quail. Prescribed burning treatments while expensive, may cost as little as one tenth that of a large scale, wildfire suppression effort. All burn plans are developed using National standards by qualified and experienced fire management professionals. They are extensively reviewed and must be approved by the Refuge Manager prior to ignition.
Fire Management personnel on the Buenos Aires NWR will closely monitor weather and fuel conditions to maximize results and minimize smoke impacts on adjacent communities. Burns will only be conducted during the daytime hours. Highway 286 and the Arivaca-Sasabe road may be heavily impacted by smoke for short periods of time. Smoke may also be visible to residents in Arivaca, Sasabe, Three Points, Green Valley, Nogales and Tucson in southern, Arizona.
The Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, the Arivaca Fire Department and Coronado National Forest personnel conducted three successful prescribed burns around the town of Arivaca in March. The March burns targeted key areas where wildfire could threaten the community.
