Arizona’s forest managers excluded wildfire from the landscape for more than a century, but in recent years they have learned that small blazes can help thin the forest floor.
That means fire could come to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon this week.
The park will bring in firefighters from Arizona, Utah and Colorado to help manage prescribed burns along Desert View Drive, on the east side of the park.
The work will target more than 1,500 acres and begin Wednesday.
It will continue through Friday and possibly longer if conditions allow.
Smoke may be visible at Canyon Village and the inner gorge. Although the park does not plan to close the road, low visibility could lead to slow traffic and lane closures.
