Daily Archives: July 24, 2016

Coco Fire Slowly Moving

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TUSAYAN — On July 22, the Coco Fire ignited due to lightning 6 miles southeast of Tusayan near the junction of Forest Road 302 and 2719. The initial start of the fire covered 15 acres and has now grown to 25 acres as of today by moving through the grass and pine litter. There was very minimal smoke production yesterday and no reported impacts to the east rim drive or the town of Tusayan overnight.

Today crews will be finishing up with preparation work along the planning area boundary. Later in the day when conditions are favorable, firefighters will be using management ignitions to create a black line along the Arizona Trail and FR 2719. This buffer will be in the Northeast corner of the planning area. Dave Barringer, Coco Fire Incident Commander-T, states “that slight delays may be expected for hikers in this small portion along the Arizona Trail due to the burn out operations if the assessment is made to start those ignitions today.” When those ignitions begin some smoke impacts to the east rim drive may occur during the evening hours.

Two new lightning caused wildfires on Williams Ranger District

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SunflowerFIre013WILLIAMS — Fire officials on the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest have two new lightning caused fires called the “Sunflower” and “Ike” fires. Both fires are being assessed for their potential of reducing hazardous fuel accumulations and restoring overall forest health.

The Sunflower fire was discovered on July 20th, and has grown to approximately 11 acres in size. It is located near Sunflower Flat west of White Horse Lake close to the junction of forest roads 747 and 14. The Ike fire, also discovered on July 20, is approximately 1.5 miles to the southeast of the Sunflower fire and is currently less than one acre in size. Both fires are burning in a ponderosa pine fuel type mixed with oak and grasses and have the potential to grow over the next several days as a warmer drying weather pattern is forecasted.

Smoke may be visible from several communities including Williams, Parks, Bellemont, Pittman Valley, Prescott, Camp Verde, Flagstaff and Sedona. Fire managers will monitor smoke production closely and will take extra measures as necessary to minimize impacts to surrounding developed areas.

As these fires develop and expand in size, an emergency closure order may be implemented in the immediate effected areas and on a short section of the Overland Trail to ensure public and firefighter safety.

ADOT advises public to stay vigilant when purchasing used vehicles

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PHOENIX — Because a title establishes who owns and has liens on a vehicle, altering titles is a common way that criminals defraud those purchasing used vehicles in private sales.

That’s why it’s worth noting that in late May, when a robbery occurred at an Authorized Third Party motor vehicle services business in Phoenix, the suspect made off not with cash but with 1,300 blank vehicle titles. That case remains under investigation.

While the Arizona Department of Transportation has checks in place to protect consumers against stolen titles, investigators with the agency’s Office of Inspector General note that blank titles provide many opportunities for criminals to commit fraud.

First, they can be used to retitle stolen vehicles, salvaged vehicles and vehicles deemed totaled by crashes. They can also be used to skip vehicle inspections when one is required.

“Title fraud is a common way to cheat buyers out of their hard-earned money,” said Michael Lockhart, chief of ADOT’s Office of Inspector General. “However, detectives in our Office of Inspector General have highly trained skills in investigating this type of vehicle fraud.”

The Office of Inspector General maintains a list of serial numbers of stolen titles that is regularly shared with law enforcement agencies, MVD offices, Authorized Third Party businesses and other entities.

Meanwhile, here are some things you can do to avoid falling victim to criminals when buying a used vehicle in a private sale:

Conduct the transaction at an MVD office or Authorized Third Party business. Employees at MVD offices and Authorized Third Parties can run the vehicle identification number (VIN) and check the record for liens and other notations that may not be on the title. Don’t hand over that check until you’ve verified you can take complete ownership of the vehicle.

Use good judgment and ask lots of questions. There are no stupid questions when it comes to protecting yourself in a big purchase. Do this:

  • Ask for identification to make sure the seller is the owner listed on the title.
  • Ask to see vehicle maintenance records.
  • Check the VIN on the inside of the driver’s door frame and on the top of the dashboard to make sure they match.
  • Check for VIN tampering such as the door frame sticker peeled off and replaced, and altered rivets on the dashboard plaque.

It’s most important to take time and not rush the process. If the seller is acting suspicious, unwilling to show ID or records or trying to rush the process, walk away. Take the time to find the right purchase.

Use an online service to check the VIN. There are several online services that can perform a vehicle record check to look for salvage notices and other notations. These services can cost money, but it is well worth it when the alternative is potentially paying for a vehicle that can’t be registered, driven or sold.

Seek help if you’ve been scammed. ADOT is here to help victims of fraud involving vehicle titles, registrations and driver licenses. Call our 24-hour fraud hotline at 877.712.2370 or email fraud@azdot.gov.