A prescribed fire is scheduled near Payson on Monday if conditions allow.
Punky Moore with the Tonto National Forest, explained how these controlled burns prevent larger wildfires.
“It removes hazardous fuels and so that if there is a fire in that area in the future, it would reach that burned area and it would be less severe if there was another fire in the same area," she said.
Moore warned that travelers should use caution when travelling through the area because of smoke.
