TFD performs annual Sweetwater wetlands burn

TUCSON, Ariz. — Are you seeing smoke on the west side of I-10?

Tucson Fire Department is performing the annual Sweetwater wetlands burn.

The wetlands burn removes dead bulrush and cattail, which if not removed, can increase the chances of a fire starting.

"The dead, thatched vegetation must also be removed to allow applications of granular mosquito larvicide to contact the water, which greatly improves the effectiveness of Tucson Water's Mosquito Abatement Program," said the City of Tucson.

The city provided these facts on the annual wetlands burn on it's website:

• The roots of the bulrush and cattail remain viable during the burn and the vegetation quickly grows back within three to four months.
• No more than one-third of the Wetlands is burned in any one year to leave plenty of healthy habitat during the remaining winter migratory bird season.
• The burn is scheduled early enough to avoid April black bird nesting.
• On the day of a burn, migratory water fowl typically lift off at the first sense of fire and return to the open ponds after the fires have burned out in the late afternoon.
• The Sweetwater Wetlands reopens to the public the next day.