(PERSONNEL ARE FOLLOWING SAFETY PROTOCOLS) U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (USFS) Kaibab National Forest fire personnel Brandon Oberhardt (seen), Quentin Ford and Chantel Herrick lead the pile burning operation at the Kaibab National Forest, Tusayan Ranger District, Flying J project area in Arizona, on Dec 3, 2018.
Slash piles are the result of forest restoration efforts, and the goal of burning them is to further reduce fuels that could feed high-intensity wildfire. Winter is typically an ideal time to burn piles because the snow surrounding them prevents fire from creeping outside of desired treatment boundaries.
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung. Original public domain image from Flickr