Green Valley may be seeing smoke starting Wednesday

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge will be conducting a series of prescribed fires beginning Wednesday, May 23, and continuing through May 27.

Smoke may be visible to residents in Green Valley, Nogales, Arivaca, Sasabe, and Tucson in Southern Arizona.

Highway 286 and the Arivaca-Sasabe road may be heavily impacted by smoke for short periods of time.

Burns will only be conducted during the daytime hours.

The refuge is continuing a proactive land management approach by using fire as management tool.

The 2007 goal of treating approximately 8,200 acres will reduce the future possibility of wildfires while enhancing critical wildlife habitat and restoring native grassland processes.

Prescribed burning, conducted under an approved plan with the use of adequate firefighting resources, is the best method to prevent potential loss from a wildfire.

Firefighters from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and the National Park Service will be assisting local Refuge Fire Management personnel with the prescribed fires.