Midday News update:
From the Western Great Basin GACC:
Barth 1 fire discovered @ 2330 last night southwest of Carlin in the Palisade area. Blew up @ 0230 and burned actively all night. Reported @ 2000 acres this morning. Tanker 00 and a lead plane coming from EBC. Ruby Mtn Hotshots committed. Silver State Hotshots, Helicopter 0CR, and Air Attack 3SA enroute from Ely as the Aveden fire wraps up. Multiple NDF resources on scene presently and 3 SEATs ordered.
http://gacc.nifc.gov/wgbc/information/newsandnotes.htm
Updates on the top fires (in Sedona, AZ, Fort Garland, CO, and Santa Maria California):
SEDONA, Ariz. -- Firefighters struggled Wednesday to stop a 2,450-acre wildfire from jumping a highway in scenic Oak Creek Canyon and roaring into an area of evacuated homes and resorts.
Nearly 600 firefighters were on the lines Wednesday, backed by at least a dozen aircraft and nearly three-dozen fire trucks, but the blaze was only 5 percent contained in the steep, rugged terrain.
Flames approached the canyon's two-lane highway in places during the night but crews were able to light backfires to remove fuel from its path, officials said Wednesday morning.
"That's really good news," said Bill Watt, a fire information officer for the team fighting the fire.
The fire was approaching the area of Slide Rock State Park, a popular recreation spot that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors a year.
If it jumps the highway "then it's a whole new ball game for trying to catch the fire," said Larry Sears, a fire crew supervisor. Officials said the fire could be drawn up the other side of the canyon and into thick wilderness.
The fire started Sunday as a campfire and spread quickly, forcing the evacuation of about 400 homes and businesses in the canyon more than 90 miles north of Phoenix. About 100 homes in five subdivisions on the north side of Sedona were also evacuated.
Elsewhere, crews in Colorado battled an 8,960-acre wildfire that forced the evacuation of more than 270 homes.
Lighter wind, lower temperatures and slightly higher humidity were forecast for the area. "It will be a cool, moist surge" moving in Wednesday night, said National Weather Service meteorologist Kathy Torgerson.
The fire, ignited by lightning and reported Sunday, was located near Fort Garland, about 150 miles south of Denver.
"I've never seen a fire that size," Myers Archoata said as he sat in his pickup along U.S. 160. "I've lived here all my life. We've had fires, but we've been able to put them out."
In Santa Maria, Calif., firefighters battled a 10,000-acre blaze that had stopped short of a critical ridgeline in Los Padres National Forest. No homes were threatened as the fire burned away from the small town of New Cuyama, about 45 miles east of Santa Maria.
Wildfires have charred 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. Huge grass fires that swept through Texas and Oklahoma this spring account for much of the increase.
http://www.ksat.com/weather/9403843/detail.html?rss=ant&psp=news
Press release on the Mato Vega fire:
Mato Vega Fire Information Inquiries: (719)-379-3783 June 20, 2006
Fort Garland, CO — Crews continued to burn out vegetation along Highway 160 to secure fire lines and keep the Mato Vega fire north of the highway. The highway remains closed to public travel. Fire weather conditions improved somewhat today allowing crews and aviation resources to remain engaged in fire suppression throughout the day.
Residents in the Wagon Creek Subdivision, Paradise Acres subdivision and Old La Veta Pass remain under mandatory evacuation orders. Residents in the Forbes Subdivision are under voluntary evacuations. There are approximately 280 homes affected by the evacuation orders.
Despite the extreme fire conditions crew did make some progress on the south end of the fire gaining 5% containment.
Tomorrow, crews will focus on structure protection and burn out operations near the Paradise Acres Subdivision. Firefighters will continue to construct and strengthen fire line along the south flank of the fire.
Fire Facts:
Size: 8960 acres
Personnel Assigned: 283
Aircraft: 2 Helicopters assigned and fixed wing air tankers are available
Structures Threatened: 280
Land Ownership: Private
Type 1 Crews: 3
Type 2 Crews: 4
Engines: 24
Water Tenders: 8
Dozers: 7
http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/fire/fire_info/malovega.htm
This is the time of day when fires tend to rev up, so expect more news in a few hours.
Residents in the Wagon Creek Subdivision, Paradise Acres subdivision and Old La Veta Pass remain under mandatory evacuation orders.
Residents in the Forbes Subdivision are under voluntary evacuations...
http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/fire/fire_info/malovega.htm
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