Helicopters Dropping Mulch, Seed At Doce Wildfire Site

July 25, 2013

Helicopters are flying over the nearly 250 acres scorched by the Doce Wildfire about seven miles northwest Prescott, just like they were last month.

But the choppers are not there to make water drops to quell the blaze, they are spreading seed and mulch in an effort to restore the area that was charred.

The initial operation got underway Thursday morning and will focus on severely burned areas with deep soils.

Prescott National Forest officials say the seeding effort is intended to reduce the risk to soils and forest resources in the area.

As a result of the re-seeding effort, trails around the Alto Pit site and the Williamson Valley trailhead will be closed. Those areas will be used as staging areas for the bucket drops.

The human-caused Doce fire began June 18 and charred dense brush and timber in the Granite Mountain Wilderness.