NEWS RELEASE
Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests & Thunder Basin National Grassland
Date: June 20, 2006
Contact
Kimberley Vogel
970-870-2250
Pam Wilson
307-745-2344
Isabel Fire Continues to Burn South of Lake Owen
(Laramie, Wyo.) June 20, 2006 The Isabel fire is now 500 acres and growing. The fire is burning in grass and mixed confer species. The fire has a high potential to be large. A type II incident management team has been assigned to the fire today and will assume management at 8 p.m. this evening. The fire is considered approximately 5% contained and has moved onto private land less than a half mile from Fox Creek Road. It is thought that the fire was most likely started by a lightning strike and was driven by high winds yesterday.
A closure has been put in place to provide for firefighter and public safety while suppression efforts are underway. The following is prohibited:
1. Going into or being upon the area described as follows: Lake Owen Recreation Area and Campground (T14N, R78W, Sec. 24, 25, 36); and the surrounding area (T14N, R77W, Sec. 18, 19, 30, 31, 32, 33); (T13N, R78W, Sec. 1); and (T13N, R77W, Sec. 4, 5, 6).
2. Going onto or being upon Forest Service Development Roads (FDR): 517 Dry Park Road, (Junction of FDR 513 to Fox Creek Road); FDR 540 Lake Owen Road; FDR 311A; and FDR 552 (Fox Creek Road to Lake Owen).
Residences have been threatened. Albany County has taken action to protect structures and evacuate as necessary. Resources on the fire include approximately 220 personnel including 5 hand crews. Additionally, 3 engines, 2 helicopters, 1 dozer, and 2 water tenders are on the fire.
Forest Officials ask that people traveling in the area abide by the closures and limit traffic to allow for firefighting traffic.
Albany County, Carbon County, and the Bureau of Land Management have all issued fire restrictions. Other Wyoming Counties and the U.S. Forest Service are presently considering restriction.
Forest Service Officials ask that people in the woods be especially careful with fire. Windy days often kick up fires from lightning strikes that have held over for several days. If you are going to the forest be aware of predicted weather conditions as well as recent lightning activity.
Further information on this fire can be obtained by calling the USFS Regional Office at 303-275-5354
Fire Weather Discussion for the SW GACC (AZ, NM and western TX) This I suspect was pulled off a NWC site since it's all in caps)
ARIZONA
NORTHERN ARIZONA (Flagstaff Forecast Office)
.DISCUSSION...
THE MAIN IMPACTS FOR NORTHERN ARIZONA THROUGH FRIDAY WILL BE CONTINUED VERY DRY CONDITIONS AND AFTERNOON HIGH TEMPERATURES FROM 5 TO 10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THE WIND DIRECTION STEERING OUR SMOKE PLUMES IS FORECAST TO CHANGE TO VERY LIGHT NORTH TO NORTHWESTERLY TOMORROW AFTERNOON AND THEN TO EAST NORTHEASTERLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. 20 FOOT WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE LIGHT AND TERRAIN DRIVEN ON THURSDAY. FORECAST GUIDANCE SUGGESTS SOME MOISTURE IN THE MID AND UPPER LEVELS WILL SNEAK INTO THE WHITE MOUNTAINS FRIDAY AND THEN SPREAD WESTWARD OVER THE WEEKEND. AT THIS TIME WE FEEL THAT ANY THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING FRIDAY WILL BE DRY AND HIGH BASED. THIS MAY CHANGE FOR THE WEEKEND.
CENTRAL / SOUTHWEST ARIZONA (Phoenix Forecast Office)
.DISCUSSION... A LARGE AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE SOUTHWEST THROUGH THE WEEKEND. AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES WARM EACH DAY INTO THE HOT RANGE BY THIS WEEKEND...REACHING WELL ABOVE NORMAL MAXIMUMS. LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY MAY BE ON THE INCREASE SATURDAY AND SUNDAY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF EAST CENTRAL ARIZONA...AS MOISTURE SEEPS INTO THE EAST PORTION OF THE STATE.
SOUTHERN & SOUTHEASTERN ARIZONA (Tucson Forecast Office)
.DISCUSSION...HIGH PRESSURE WILL DEVELOP AND EXPAND OVER SOUTHERN UTAH THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS OF MAINLY TERRAIN-DRIVEN WINDS...AN EAST FLOW WILL DEVELOP AND WILL SPREAD INCREASING AMOUNTS OF MOISTURE INTO THE REGION. ALONG WITH THE INCREASE IN HUMIDITY WILL ALSO COME A GRADUALLY INCREASING CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS...PARTICULARLY SOUTH AND EAST OF TUCSON...AS WE APPROACH THE WEEKEND.
NEW MEXICO
NORTHERN NEW MEXICO (Albuquerque Forecast Office)
.DISCUSSION...STRONG EAST WINDS THAT PUSHED INTO THE CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE STATE OVERNIGHT RESULTED IN AN INCREASE IN LOW LEVEL MOISTURE IN THE CENTRAL VALLEYS. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED OVER A LARGER AREA TODAY WITH THE INCREASE IN LOW LEVEL SURFACE MOISTURE. ANOTHER SURGE IS EXPECTED FRIDAY. DRY THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS FROM CENTRAL NEW MEXICO EASTWARD WILL BECOME MORE OF A MIXTURE OF WET AND DRY. MOISTURE IS EXPECTED TO SURGE WEST AS FAR AS THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BY SATURDAY ACCOMPANIED BY SHOWERS AND STORMS.
SOUTHWEST NEW MEXICO (El Paso Forecast Office)
.DISCUSSION... ISOLATED HIGH-BASE AND MAINLY DRY THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING OVER THE BOOTHEEL AND THE GILA. THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE DRY LIGHTNING ALONG WITH STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS.SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY WILL HAVE MORE MOISTURE AVAILABLE WITH LESS THREAT OF DRY LIGHTNING...BUT WILL ALSO PRODUCE STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS WITH OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES PUSHING SOUTH ACROSS OTERO COUNTY. HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT WILL KEEP AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES ABOVE NORMAL AGAIN THURSDAY WITH HUMIDITY FROM THE MID-TEENS TO THE LOWER 20S. HIGH PRESSURE WILL SHIFT INTO NEVADA FRIDAY...ALLOWING A DEEPER EAST TO NORTHEAST FLOW OVER THE AREA WITH A SUBSEQUENT INCREASE IN MOISTURE. THIS WILL INCREASE THE CHANCE OF WETTING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE REGION FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND.
SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO / SOUTHWEST TEXAS (Midland Forecast Office)
.DISCUSSION... UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE DESERT SOUTHWEST WILL WEAKEN ALLOWING FOR LOW LEVEL MOISTURE TO INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THIS INCREASE IN MOISTURE WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES A FEW DEGREES COOLER THAN EARLIER THIS WEEK...AND AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF SOUTHWEST TEXAS AND SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO THROUGH AT LEAST THE WEEKEND. A WEAK COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO SAG SLOWLY SOUTHWARD INTO THE AREA TONIGHT AND ON FRIDAY...PROVIDING A FOCUS FOR WIDELY SCATTERED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE PERMIAN BASIN ON FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE PERMIAN BASIN THIS WEEKEND. RH RECOVERY TONIGHT WILL BE FAIR TO GOOD AREAWIDE.