Category Archives: Kaibab National Forest

Stina, Cat Fire Update: Area closures lifted

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FREDONIA — The Kaibab National Forest will lift all area closures this Thursday, August 23, at 8 a.m. due to the significant and widespread monsoonal moisture that occurred over both the Cat Fire and Stina Fire over the last 72 hours.

“We encourage visitors to exercise caution, good judgment, and abide by the following recreational best practices,” said North Kaibab District Ranger Randall Walker.

Potential risks in an area recently burned by wildfire include the following:

· Storms resulting in flash flooding that could wash out roads, initiate debris flows and may entrap people at flooded stream courses.
· Unsound burned trees (snags) that could fall or shed large limbs.
· Eroded and very rough roads resulting in dangerous driving conditions.
· Unstable terrain with potential for rolling debris (logs, rocks, boulders, etc.).
· Burned out stump holes that could cause injury if stepped in.
· Blowing dust on roads and hillsides.

Visitors to the North Kaibab Ranger District are advised to follow these outdoor safety best practices:

1. Know the weather forecast and check it frequently as conditions can change in a very short timeframe.
2. Let someone outside of the area know exactly where you are and where you will be going daily.
3. Do not park vehicles or camp in areas with burned snags or where potential flood waters would prevent escape. Know where you are in relation to drainages.
4. During windy conditions, remain in open areas that are free of trees (both live and burned) as much as possible.
5. If an area seems unsafe for any reason, leave.
6. Have good maps and know where you are at all times.
7. Keep a well-charged cell phone with you and check it frequently, so you know when you’re in an area where there is no coverage.
8. Understand that there are many areas on public lands that are remote. It can take a very long time before responders can arrive if a rescue is required. The North Kaibab area is very remote.

For fire information on the Kaibab National Forest, visit www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab and Inciweb under the name of the fire at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov or visit us on Facebook and Twitter @KaibabNF or call (928) 635-8311 for recorded fire information.

Team Transitions to Manage Both Cat Fire, Stina Fire

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FREDONIA — Local crews have been working diligently on the Stina and Cat Fires as well as responding to Initial Attack on numerous lightning ignitions across the district. In order to take pressure off local resources, Kaibab fire officials have transitioned command of the Stina Fire to the Central West Zone Type Three Incident Management Team as of 6:00 a.m. today. The Stina and the Cat Fires are both under command of the team which will finalize suppression activities, direct mop-up, and initiate suppression repair.

Moisture received on the Cat and Stina Fires has effectively calmed fire behavior. No growth has occurred on either fire for several days. Fire managers are confident under the current conditions, fire growth is unlikely.

Resources:
165 personnel including 3 Hot Shot Crews, 1 Type 2 Crew, 7 Engines, 2 Ambulances, and 1 dozer

Cat Overview:
Date reported: August 6, 2018 Size: 3,688 acres

Strategy: Full suppression Containment: 0%

Location: The Cat Fire is about 25 miles southeast of Jacob Lake in the Saddle Mountain Wilderness on the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest.

Situational update: Containment figures are calculated based on a fire’s interaction with constructed or natural fireline. Since the Cat Fire never burned up to the constructed or natural fireline, no official containment was reached; however, there is little fire activity on the fire perimeter, and the fire remains confined within the initial planning area set by fire managers. The Cat Fire has been placed in Monitor Status.

Closures: Fire management resources have closed all roads within the planning area boundary, which includes FR 213 and 220 on the north, FR 610 on the south and east, and House Rock Valley Road 8910 on the east.

The following trails are closed: Arizona Trail from FR 213 to FR 610, North Canyon Trail, South Canyon Trail, Saddle Mountain Trail, and Pt. Imperial and Nankoweap Trails, which are both located on Kaibab National Forest and Grand Canyon National Park land. The closure will remain in effect until it is considered safe to enter the area. Roads 213, 219, 220 south of 213, 610 (Marbleview, South Canyon), 611 (East Rim), and 8910 south of 220 are also closed.

Stina Overview:

Start date: July 26, 2018 Size: 2,600 acres
Strategy: full containment Containment: 20%

Location: The Stina Fire is 23 miles southwest of Jacob Lake and about 2 miles east of Fire Point on the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest.

Situational Update: Resources continue to work on all sides of the Stina Fire. On the north and east flanks, crews are concentrating on mop-up and fire suppression repair. Along forest roads 268 and 223 on the south flank, crews continue to close gaps to secure fireline. Where the fire is in contact with the fireline, crews are cold trailing, carefully inspecting and feeling for heat, along the fire’s edge and extinguishing any hot spots that remain adjacent to the line.

Closures: A closure is in effect for Forest Roads 223 (going to Fire Point), 268, 206, 271, 609, 250 road south of the 250/294 junction, a portion of the 239 and all Rainbow Rim trails and scenic viewpoints south of Locust Point. The trail between Locust Point and Parissawampitts Point will remain open for forest visitors. The closure order will remain in place until it is considered safe to enter the area.

For fire information on the Kaibab National Forest, visit www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab and Inciweb under the name of the fire at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov or visit us on Facebook and Twitter @KaibabNF or call (928) 635-8311 for recorded fire information.

Northeast flank of Stina: Highest priority for suppression efforts

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FREDONIA — Fire managers are focusing on securing the northeast portion of the 1,289 acre Stina Fire as their top priority and began that with a small burn out operation today.

“We will continue to look for opportunities to secure the northeast flank, utilizing firing (burn out) opportunities when we can,” said Incident Commander Trainee Dave Veater.

The southeast portion of the fire is a lower priority than the northeast flank because this area has the Tipover Prescribed Fire from last fall directly in front Stina’s path providing a catcher’s mitt where fuels have been reduced. Elsewhere on the fire, firefighters completed hose lays and continued improving containment lines by removing vegetation. Also, two engines from the fire were utilized to suppress new lightning fires that were detected today on the North Kaibab Ranger District.

There are two 20-person hotshot crews and one 20-person Type-two hand crew, Seven fire engines and other totalling about 102 people on this fire. The fire fuel consists of Ponderosa pine, aspen and mixed conifer.

The Stina Fire is 23-miles southwest of Jacob Lake and about 2-miles east of Fire Point on the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest.

Central West Zone Type 3 Team, continues to manage the 2,500-acre Cat Fire with full suppression tactics with a total of 88 personnel including two hotshot crews and nine engines. Fire management decisions are determined with consideration of firefighter safety, location of the fire, available resources, regional and national preparedness levels, and weather forecast.

Maintaining the integrity of cultural and natural resources within the Saddle Mountain Wilderness is a key management objective. “While we are concerned about these valuable resources, our most important resource is people,” said Incident Commander Rob Williams.

Typically, there has been an increase in fire behavior during the warm afternoon hours. Due to cooler temperatures and higher moisture, activity was minimal with a small flare up that put up visible smoke for a short time in the afternoon. Crews are continuing to improve indirect line around the fire and clean up fuel breaks along Forest Road (FR) 219, as well FR 610 in order to tie into the Fuller Fire scar. Two local engines from the Cat fire were utilized to suppress two new lightning starts that were detected this afternoon on the North Kaibab Ranger District.

Fire management resources have closed all roads within the planning area boundary, which includes FR 213 and 220 on the north, FR 610 on the east and south, and House Rock Valley Road 8910 on the east.

The following trails are closed: Arizona Trail from FR 213 to FR 610, North Canyon Trail, South Canyon Trail, Saddle Mountain Trail, and Pt. Imperial and Nankoweap Trails, which are both located on Kaibab National Forest and Grand Canyon National Park land. The closure will remain in effect until it is considered safe to enter the area. Roads 213, 219, 220 south of 213, 610 (Marbleview, South Canyon), 611 (East Rim), and 8910 south of 220 are also closed.

Smoke is visible on both the North and South Rims of the Grand Canyon park, and there is a regional haze present in surrounding communities from multiple wildfires in the West. Individuals sensitive to smoke can learn how to help protect their health by visiting the Coconino County Public Health Services District website at: http://bit.ly/SmokeHealthAwareness.

Arizona Game and Fish Commission recognizes Kaibab National Forest for partnering to sustain wildlife waters

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Michael Sedgeman and Travis Largent (both on right) accepted the Arizona Game and Fish Commission award on behalf of the Kaibab National Forest earlier this month. – Kaibab Forest photo

WILLIAMS – Earlier this month, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission recognized the Kaibab National Forest for partnering to sustain wildlife waters during recent drought conditions.

Specifically, the Kaibab National Forest was presented with a Commission Commendation of Achievement “for the continued partnership, stewardship, and unwavering commitment to wildlife conservation.” The recognition resulted from the two agencies teaming together during the exceptionally dry spring and early summer months to provide viable water sources for wildlife in Game Management Units 9 and 7W, which generally fall within the Kaibab National Forest’s Tusayan and Williams Ranger Districts.

“Due to the heightened fire danger and the additional fire resources we had available, we had the opportunity to provide some extra support to the Arizona Game and Fish Department,” said Jeremy Human, fire management officer for the Tusayan and Williams Ranger Districts. “Arizona’s wildlife is an important resource. A lot of what we do as an agency [Forest Service] is tied closely to the department’s wildlife management work, so this was an opportunity for us to be a good neighbor and do the right thing. We were able to accomplish meaningful work that made a difference when we weren’t actively engaged with responding to wildfires.”

Kaibab National Forest employees used large tenders to haul and deliver water to catchments that were identified as critical by Arizona Game and Fish Department wildlife managers. All told, more than 50,000 gallons of water were made available at priority locations across the forest, and hundreds of hours of equipment and personnel time were donated.

“We have a strong and ongoing partnership with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, and this was another example of how we can work together to improve outcomes for wildlife and support the missions of each agency,” said Travis Largent, wildlife biologist with the Kaibab National Forest. “We hope to continue our mutual efforts to achieve shared goals such as improving forest health and enhancing wildlife habitat.”

Water was a particularly scarce resource earlier this year due to the ongoing drought in Arizona and the extreme lack of winter precipitation. In fact, the Tusayan and Williams Ranger Districts had the driest October to June period on record in the past 25 years, creating potentially deadly conditions for area wildlife.

Across the state, the Arizona Game and Fish Department monitors and maintains thousands of water catchments in strategic locations. Due to the importance of these waters to diverse wildlife species and the exceptionally dry conditions prevailing in northern Arizona, the department faced the monumental task of trying to refill catchments that were quickly drying out statewide.

“They stepped in at a time when what we had in place wouldn’t have been able to cover the need,” said Nate Ragan, wildlife manager for the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Game Management Unit 9. “They helped us when we needed it the most and got water to a lot of places that would have gone dry without them. It was a breath of fresh air to have that resource made available to us and to get the help when we most needed it.”

In addition to the Kaibab National Forest, many other partner and volunteer organizations also donated time and resources to the important work of sustaining these wildlife waters.

Cat Fire Burns Aggressively Downslope to the East

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FREDONIA — Active fire behavior was seen on the Cat Fire today, resulting in the consumption of an estimated 800 acres. Fire spread mainly downslope to the east and south predominately in ponderosa and pinyon-juniper fuel types.

Overview
Date reported: August 6, 2018
Size: 2,118 acres
Location: The Cat Fire is about 25 miles southeast of Jacob Lake in the Saddle Mountain Wilderness on the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest.
Fuel: Mixed conifer, ponderosa pine, and pinyon-juniper.
Weather: Forecasters anticipate a slight increase in moisture across the fire area.
Strategy: Full suppression
Situational update: Crews continued to focus control actions on the western side of the fire today as it moved closer to Forest Road 219, and very little growth occurred on the western flank. Management of the Cat Fire will transition to the Central West Zone Type 3 team under the command of Rob Williams on Sunday, August 12, 2018 at 6 a.m.

Closures: Fire management resources have closed all roads within the planning area boundary, which includes Forest Roads (FR) 213 and 220 on the north, FR 610 on the east and south, and House Rock Valley Road 8910 on the east.

The following trails are closed: Arizona Trail from FR 213 to FR 610, North Canyon Trail, South Canyon Trail and Pt. Imperial and Nankoweap Trails, which are both located on Kaibab National Forest and Grand Canyon National Park land. The closure will remain in effect until it is considered safe to enter the area.

Smoke: Smoke is visible on both the North and South Rims of the park, and there is a regional haze present in surrounding communities from multiple wildfires in the West. Individuals sensitive to smoke can learn how to help protect their health by visiting the Coconino County Public Health Services District website at: http://bit.ly/SmokeHealthAwareness.

For fire information on the Kaibab National Forest, visit www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab and Inciweb under the name of the fire at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov or visit us on Facebook and Twitter @KaibabNF or call (928) 635-8311 for recorded fire information.

A Good Day on the Stina Fire

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FREDONIA — Incident Commander Trainee Dave Veater said, “It was a good day on the Stina Fire.” Fire crews were able to make good progress on the east and north flanks of the fire today; preparing lines for burning operations on the north side, placing a hose lay in on the east side of the fire, and assessing the suppression options for the south flank of the fire. The west side of the fire was very active in the mixed conifer, but there was not any significant fire growth today.

Resources:
4 20-person hotshot crews and 1 20 person type two hand crew
9 fire engines
1 bulldozer
Miscellaneous overhead (a total of 156 personnel)

Stina Fire Overview
Start date: July 26, 2018
Size: 1,200 acres

Location: The Stina Fire is 23 miles southwest of Jacob Lake and about 2 miles east of Fire Point on the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest.

Fuel: Ponderosa pine, aspen and mixed conifer.

Weather: Forecasters anticipate a chance of thunderstorms across the fire area.

Strategy: Full suppression

Bald Fire Update

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WILLIAMS — Thunderstorm outflows with shifting wind patterns are fanning flames and influencing growth on the Bald Fire located on Sitgreaves Mountain on the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest.

BALD FIRE OVERVIEW
Start Date: July 22, 2018.
Cause: Lightning.
Location: South slope of Sitgreaves Mountain southwest of Spring Valley.
Current Size: Approximately 40 acres.
Resources: 1-Type 6 Engine, miscellaneous aircraft.

Current Status: Officials have been monitoring the Bald Fire for just over a week and will continue to watch fire behavior using aircraft and from vantage points on the ground below. The Lightning caused Bald Fire now 40 acres in size continues to burn within the 2014 Sitgreaves fire scar about halfway up the south slope. Because there are less control risks associated with this fire, managers are airing on the side of safety by limiting exposure keeping fire personnel off the steep terrain. Growth will likely continue as weather allows.

Smoke: Smoke will continue to be visible from a wide area around the mountain and could occasionally impact the communities of Spring Valley, Pittman Valley, Parks, and the Interstate 40 corridor. Motorists are asked to always use caution when ever driving near the vicinity of a fire.

For additional information the following sources are available:

InciWeb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6006/
Website: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab
Twitter: twitter.com/kaibabnf
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KaibabNF/
Kaibab National Forest Fire Information Phone Line (928) 635-8311.

Lightning strikes continue, Forest visitors reminded to be weather aware

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GRAND CANYON – For Immediate Release. Monsoonal activity continued to cross portions of both the northern and southern areas of the Kaibab National Forest and Grand Canyon National Park this week, bringing varying amounts of rain and lightning to various areas throughout both the forest and park. Fire resources in both the North Zone and South Zone continue to respond to each lightning-caused fire as it is discovered and reported.

Due to the increased amount of fire activity throughout both the Grand Canyon and the Kaibab National Forest, operations are anticipated to continue throughout the weekend. This means that smoke will likely be visible on both the North and South Rims of the park and all three ranger districts on the Kaibab National Forest: North Kaibab Ranger District, Williams Ranger District, and the Tusayan Ranger District.

At this time there are no road closures within the park or forest; however, motorists traveling within these areas should use caution as fire crews could be present at any time. Motorists are asked to drive with headlights on and drive slow in and around emergency response vehicles.

As a reminder, lightning-caused fires are evaluated by fire management officials for the most appropriate management strategy. Firefighter safety, resources at risk, location of the fire, available resources, regional and national preparedness levels, and weather forecast are taken into consideration when responding to a wildfire ignition.

For more information on the largest and most active of these wildfires, please visit the following:

Obi Fire – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6030/
Rain Fire – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6002/

For fire information on the Kaibab National Forest, visit www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab or @KaibabNF on Facebook and Twitter or call (928) 635-8311 for recorded fire information.

For fire information at Grand Canyon National Park, please visit https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/management/firemanagement.htm or call 928-638-7819 for recorded fire information.

Rain Fire Update

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TUSAYAN — The Rain Fire on the Tusayan Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest is showing an increase in activity and will continue to see additional growth over the next few days.

RAIN FIRE OVERVIEW
Start Date: July 21, 2018.
Cause: Lightning.
Location: One mile southeast of the Town of Tusayan .
Current Size: Approximately 165 acres.
Incident Commander: Quentin Johnson ICT3 / Adam Pahl ICT3-T
Resources: 2-20 person Type 2 crews, 3-Type 6 Engines, 1 Type 3 Engine. Total personnel assigned 55.

Current Status: Operations were successful yesterday as fire consumed dead woody fuels from the forest floor. All containment lines held and objectives were successfully achieved. Burn out operations will continue over the next few shifts to protect identified values at risk within the planning area.

Smoke: Fire Managers are utilizing strategies to minimize and reduce smoke exposure and limit the number of days smoke will be in the air. Smoke will be noticeable from Highway 64 and communities of Tusayan, Valle, and the Grand Canyon Village. Favorable northwest winds are transporting smoke away from the community throughout the day. Some overnight residual smoke may linger but is lifting out in the early to mid-morning hours each day.

The Gallo Fire, 4 miles northeast of Red Butte has shown no growth and is currently inactive.

For additional information the following sources are available:

InciWeb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6002/ inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6003/
Website: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab
Twitter: twitter.com/kaibabnf
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KaibabNF/
Kaibab National Forest Fire Information Phone Line (928) 635-8311.

Kaibab National Forest implements forest restoration projects near Parks

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WILLIAMS/PARKS — The Kaibab National Forest is conducting preparatory work in anticipation of implementing timber sales in five project areas east of Williams near the community of Parks on the Williams Ranger District. These forest restoration efforts have resulted in increased activity that may be noticeable to residents and visitors in the area.

Preparatory work including tree marking and boundary layout operations are underway in each of the five project areas, which stretch from Brannigan Park near Bellemont west to Pittman Valley on the north side of Interstate 40. Once this work is completed, the Kaibab National Forest will be seeking to offer timber sales to local contractors and others who may be able to support the forest restoration effort. The tree marking and boundary layout work will ultimately serve as visual guidance to assist these contractors in ensuring Forest Service expectations for treatment are met.

As activity on these projects increases over the next few months, residents, land owners and visitors will likely notice more Forest Service personnel and vehicles in the area. Once timber sale contracts have been awarded, forest restoration work including timber removal and log hauling operations will also be noticeable to members of the public.

The ultimate goal of both the preparatory work and the eventual timber sales is to improve forest health and reduce the potential for high-intensity wildfires that could threaten lives, property and natural resources. These projects are planned for long-term implementation and may be ongoing for the next several years on an intermittent basis depending on weather and other conditions.

“We are pleased to be making progress on this important work, and we hope local residents continue to support our efforts in improving forest health and public safety,” said Josh Giles, silviculturist with the Kaibab National Forest. “Projects like this are critical to the long-term sustainability of our forests, watersheds and communities.”

The five projects, known as 49er, Saddle, Moonset, Parks West, and Sitgreaves, are all part of the overarching restoration work associated with the Four Forest Restoration Initiative, which is intended to treat more than 2.4 million acres of ponderosa pine forest across northern Arizona.

One goal of the Four Forest Restoration Initiative is to increase resilience in the fire-adapted ponderosa pine forest by reducing tree stand densities to a more historic level, which eventually reduces the potential for uncharacteristic wildfire. This work also offers greater protection for residents living in and adjacent to the wildland-urban interface, where developments and forested areas merge together.

Goals of treatments in the Four Forest Restoration Initiative footprint include:

  • Restoring pine forests across northern Arizona using mechanical harvesting and fire to thin dense stands of smaller trees and leave larger, mature trees.
  • Improving streams, springs, and wildlife habitat.
  • Reducing wildfire threats and impacts to communities, watersheds, and recreation areas.
  • As more forest is restored, allowing wildfires to be part of a suite of forest management efforts.
  • Engaging private industry to conduct treatments and provide jobs to rural communities.
  • Monitoring treatments to ensure a healthy forest for future generations.

For more specific information about these and other current restoration projects on the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest, contact Josh Giles at (928) 635-5616.

Information is also available through the following sources:

Kaibab National Forest Website: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab
Four Forest Restoration Initiative Website: www.fs.usda.gov/4fri
Twitter: www.twitter.com/KaibabNF
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KaibabNF