The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests fire managers on the Springerville Ranger District are planning to conduct a prescribed burn next week, weather conditions permitting. The planned area is on Board Shack Knoll southwest of Greer, and smoke may be visible on State Highway 260. If weather conditions do not permit the burn in the area of Board Shack Knoll, the team will be burning district-wide piles. Pile burns require more moisture in the surrounding vegetation, and are usually conducted when snow is on the ground or after considerable rain. Piles consist of the slash from forest thinning projects, which include small logs and branches. Pile burning usually produces less smoke than broadcast burns. All prescribed fire activity is dependent on personnel availability, weather, including winds and ventilation, and approval from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. Fire managers make every effort to minimize smoke impacts to the communities while continuing to address the critical need to reduce the risk of severe wildfires around those communities. Tactics to keep smoke impacts as minimal as possible include canceling approved burns when conditions aren’t favorable, finding alternative uses for the debris in slash piles, timing daytime ignitions to allow the majority of smoke time to disperse prior to settling overnight and burning larger sections at a time when conditions are favorable to reduce the overall number of days smoke is in the area. For more information about the prescribed burn, please contact the Springerville Ranger District at (928) 333-6200, or contact the Northeastern Arizona Public Information line by dialing 311 for Verizon customers or *311 for Cellular One Customers, or by calling 333-3412, which has daily prescribed burn schedules and any wildfires that might be occurring.