Posted on 06/19/2006 2:07:11 PM PDT by Knitting A Conundrum
SEDONA, Ariz. —
A wildfire threatening hundreds of homes and businesses early Monday spread to 3,000 acres near northern Arizona's scenic Oak Creek Canyon as firefighters prepared for another hot, dry and windy day.
The fire started Sunday and spread quickly through the parched region, forcing the evacuation of about 400 homes and businesses in the canyon and about 100 homes in five subdivisions on the north side of Sedona.
"We need some rain in the worst way here and our monsoons aren't due to start 'til after July 4, it's been my experience. So, pray for rain," said Serge Wright, an optometrist whose home wasn't one of those that was evacuated.
A temperature of near 100 degrees was forecast Monday, along with low humidity and 10 to 20 mph wind.
Crews focused on trying to keep the fire from moving off the area's high plateaus and into the canyon itself, where it could spread quickly toward homes, said Joe Reinarz, commander of the team fighting the fire.
"This is a very crucial day," Reinarz said.
By late morning, flames were creeping down the side of a mountain toward the canyon. Helicopters dropped water to try to keep the fire from advancing while crews cleared brush and dead trees from around canyon homes.
Oak Creek Canyon, more than 90 miles north of Phoenix, holds scattered homes, hotels, resorts and stores. By Monday morning, the fire had burned to within a mile of some buildings, but none had been damaged.
The fire ignited in a wooded area and quickly led to the evacuations in the Sedona subdivisions of Cibola Hills, Rim Shadows, Painted Cliff, Shadow Rock Circle and Casa Contenta. Evacuations followed in Oak Creek Canyon, between Sedona and Flagstaff.
The threat to the Sedona subdivision homes had eased but they remained evacuated, fire spokeswoman Karen Malis-Clark said.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
In neighboring New Mexico, three fires started by lightning had burned almost 24,000 acres in the tinder-dry Gila National Forest in the southwestern part of the state.
The biggest of the three had charred nearly 11,000 acres and threatened 150 homes in the Lake Roberts area. It was 35 percent contained and residents who had been evacuated last Thursday will be allowed to return Tuesday, said fire information officer Shayna Carney.
In southern Colorado, another wildfire grew to more than 500 acres Monday, prompting officials to urge voluntary evacuations of the 246 homes in two rural subdivisions and close a highway in Costilla County, about 150 miles south of Denver. The fire was reported on Sunday. No homes had been destroyed, and the cause was unknown.
Wildfires have burned more than 3.1 million acres nationwide so far this year, well ahead of the average of about 900,000 acres by this time, the National Interagency Fire Center reported Monday. Huge grass fires that swept Texas and Oklahoma this spring account for a large part of this year's high acreage.
If you are interested in wildfire news and stories, drop me a note, and I'll ping you when I post news about them.
azcentral, who's material we cannot post, has the most outstanding collection of photos of this fire in a slide show. See the sidebbar on this page:
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0619Wildfire19-ON.html
Here's a map of where the fire is at:
http://gacc.nifc.gov/swcc/predictive/intelligence/daily/images/cof_brins_061806.jpg
NIFC's page about fuels and fire danger:
http://www.nifc.gov/nicc/predictive/fuels_fire-danger/fuels_fire-danger.htm
For you true wildland fire junkies, Broyles' Type 1 team will transition for the management of the fire tomorrow.
If they lose it this afternoon, and it goes down into Oak Creek Canyon, it's going to take off. That is a wilderness area, and there's plenty to burn. It's already burning in Ponderosa pine, it's very dry, hot with winds in the 20 mph + range.
FWIW, this is now the Number 1 fire in the country.
Joe Reinarz' type 2 incident management team has also been assigned to the Brins' fire.
His team has a webpage here:
http://www.nazteam.com/
Sedona, AZ - (Monday, June 19– 8:00 a.m.) The Sedona Chamber of Commerce will continue to keep you updated as we receive information.
Contact information: 928-204-6750, 928-606-7490, 928-606-7561, 928-606-7578.
Website: www.nazteam.com
The fire started on Sunday, June 18th and is currently sized at 3000 acres. The Brins Fire is burning within the Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness. The fire is about 1 mile north of Sedona.
% Contained: 0%
Evacuations:
Ø Oak Creek Canyon from Midgely Bridge to the fish hatchery in Sterling Canyon (this includes homes, businesses and Forest Service Campgrounds)
Ø North end of Soldiers Pass Road (everything north of Casa Contenta)
Ø Upper part of Jordan Road (everything north of Navahopi)
An evacuation center has been set up by the American Red Cross at West Sedona School for residents from north of Sedona and Oak Creek south of Indian Gardens. Evacuees from north of Indian Gardens should go to the Northern Arizona University Field House in Flagstaff. For emergency and shelter information, please call the Coconino County Emergency Operations Center at 928-679-4175. Animal control officers are working to accommodate pets taken to the evacuation centers.
Closures: U.S. Hwy 89A is closed through Oak Creek Canyon. It will remain closed through this afternoon. The closure will be re-evaluated following today’s operational period.
Restrictions: Fire restrictions are in effect on Coconino National Forest. The restrictions prohibit activities that could cause wildfire: Campfires, operating a chainsaw, smoking, welding, using an explosive, operated a motor vehicle off National Forest System Roads, and fireworks.
Summary: Extreme fire behavior was observed yesterday due to hot, dry weather and steep, rugged terrain. Flame lengths reached 50-70 feet. The fire burned on Brins Mesa and northwest across Wilson Mountain. In a couple of areas, the fire dropped off the east side of Wilson Mountain. Today, firefighters will be focusing on structure protection in the evacuation areas, anchoring the heel of the fire, and assessing areas near the head of the fire where line can be constructed.
Sedona businesses remain open. Visitors to the area should access Sedona via state route 179 through the Village of Oak Creek or from Cottonwood via U.S. Highway 89A.
http://travelvideo.tv/news/more.php?id=9027_0_1_0_M
y'all pray for those folks. we were out there on vacation in april '04. that area is truly a piece of God's artwork, along with the deserts down south and the nearby grand canyon (well, 2 hrs i guess!).
From the AZ 211 Website
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(June 19, 3 p.m.) The Brins Fire is burning north of Sedona in the Coconino National Forest. The size of the fire has been estimated at 1,138 acres, a reduction of previous estimates. It is zero percent contained.
This fire has resulted in the activation of the 2-1-1 Disaster Call Center for the first time.
Officials have determined the Brins Fire was human-caused. The apparent cause is an escaped campfire from a suspected transient camp in the area. The investigation is ongoing. If anyone has any information concerning the start of the fire, please call U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement at (928) 527-3508.
Summary: Extreme fire behavior was observed yesterday due to hot, dry weather and steep, rugged terrain. Flame lengths reached 50 to 70 feet. The fire burned on Brins Mesa and northeast across Wilson Mountain. In a couple of areas, the fire dropped off the east side of Wilson Mountain. Today, firefighters will be focusing on structure protection in the evacuated areas, anchoring the heel of the fire, and assessing areas near the head of the fire where line can be constructed.
Closures: Highway 89 is closed at milepost 375.0, (.9 of a mile north of Sedona), on the south end, to milepost 397.3, (1.1 mile south of Flagstaff). Soldier's Pass Road and Jordan Road are closed.
All roads leading into Oak Creek Canyon are currently closed. These include Schnebly Hill Road and F.S. Road #237 at Kachina Village.
Trail Closures Related to Brins Fire: Forest Road 152 off of Dry Creek Road (access road into Vultee Arch) is closed. (The county road known as Dry Creek Road is open.) All trails off of Forest Road 152 are closed. Those trails are: Brins Mesa, Devil's Bridge, Secret Canyon. Also, the road to VanDeren Cabin is closed. -- The North Urban Trails System is closed. That system includes Jordan Trailhead, Soldier Pass Trailhead, Sugarloaf Trailhead, Thunder Mountain Trailhead and all trails connecting from those trailheads.
Campgrounds and businesses in Oak Creek Canyon are closed. It will remain closed through this afternoon. The closure will be re-evaluated following today’s operational period.
Sedona businesses remain open. Visitors to the area should access Sedona via state Route 179 through the Village of Oak Creek or from Cottonwood via U.S. Highway 89A.
Evacuations have been ordered for the following subdivisions: Rim Shadows, Painted Cliff, Shadow Rock Circle, Casa Contente, the north end of Jordan Road (everything north of Navahopi), north end of Soldier's Pass Road (everything north of Casa Contenta), Cibola Hills and all of Oak Creek Canyon (Oak Creek Canyon from Midgely Bridge to the fish hatchery in Sterling Canyon (this includes homes, businesses and Forest Service campgrounds).
The American Red Cross Grand Canyon Chapter has opened two evacuation centers for individuals that have evacuated. Coconino County and Yavapai County animal control officials are currently working together to accomodate pets taken to the evacuation centers.
For information on planning for an evacuation, go here.
For the health effects of smoke, go here.
Residents South of Indian Gardens can go to:
West Sedona School
570 Posse Ground Road
Residents North of Indian Gardens can go to:
NAU Field House
Northern Arizona University
Knoles Drive and McCreary, next to the University Union
Directions to the Field House from North Highway 89 or I-17 are as follows:
Go northbound on S. Milton to University; turn right on University; go to the first traffic light at Knoles. Turn left on Knoles; travel northbound through the 1st stop sign. At the 2nd stop sign, turn right on McCreary; turn right again immediately into Parking Lot 16. The Field House complex is the building immediately east of the parking lot.
For those evacuees who relocated to the Flagstaff area, a staging area has been set up by the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at Fort Tuthill, which is located three miles south of Flagstaff at Exit 337; directional signs are set up at the entrance road to direct evacuees to the Pima Ramada.
Officers will be available to escort residents to their homes to pick up emergency medical supplies and pets only. Everyone’s cooperation and understanding during this limited reentry period is appreciated.
The Brins Fire started on Sunday afternoon about 1:30 p.m., 1 mile north of the subdivisions on Jordan Road and Soldier's Pass Road, in the north end of Sedona.
Predicted Weather: Hot and dry conditions will continue. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-90s with relative humidity levels in the single digits. Winds will be from the southwest at 10 to 15 mph with gusts to 30 mph.
The Northern Arizona Type 2 Incident Management Team is managing the fire resources. Resources Committed: 2 Type 1 crews (hotshot crews), 1 Type 2 crew, 4 helicopters (1 heavy, 2 medium, 1 light), 4 airtankers, 21 engines, 3 water tenders. Total personnel = approx. 210 personnel assigned.
Structures: No structures have been lost.
Important phone numbers
· To speak to a volunteer in the state emergency call center, dial 2-1-1 or (888) GoTo 211 (468-6211).
· For fire information and all media inquiries, please call the Brins Fire Information Center at (928) 204-6750.
· For information related to the Coconino National Forest including fire restrictions/closures and for residential evacuee information, please call the Coconino National Forest Information Center at (928) 226-4601.
· For evacuation-related concerns, please call the Coconino County Sheriff's Office at (928) 774-4523.
· For the
West Sedona School Red Cross Evacuation Center, please call (928) 204-8975.
· For NAU Field House Evacuation Center information, please call (928) 774-1414.
· For road conditions statewide, go to 5-1-1.
Fire updates can be found on the Coconino National Forest website.
(Source: Coconino National Forest , Coconino County Sheriff's Office and American Red Cross Grand Canyon Chapter)
http://www.az211.gov/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=484
Link to the Coconino NF website with fire info:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/conditions/index.shtml
Thanks for the info. Just a few days ago I canceled reservations for early July at the Junipine Resort, which is 9 miles up the canyon. It's a beautiful area and hopefully all of the residential property will be spared.
are you on the AZWildfire yahoogroup?
are you on the AZWildfire yahoogroup?
are you on the AZWildfire yahoogroup?
We visited the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, and there was a smoking ban in effect. They didn't want any wildfires to get started near that 100 yr old building housing the telescope.
Nope...I didn't know about it...
Does it have a big column? Yesterday it had an amazing column...
This fire's been burning near Slide Rock today...they were worried a few days ago about the observatory because of a fire, but they got it a good bit before it got to the observatory. The wind was blowing too hard, and it actually kept the fire from crowning as much.
You got a link to their homepage at yahoo groups?
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