Woodbury Fire - Superstition Wilderness

[chumley]

Burning near Woodbury Trailhead. It has grown to 500 acres. I'll post official links as soon as they're up.

The smoke plume does not look good.

Inciweb

Updated 2019-07-16 123,875 Acres - 100% Contained
[ Woodbury Fire Perimeter :: map ]

[LindaAnn]

@hondah35 I’m talking about fires in the deserts and lower elevations, not pine forests. White Tanks, Estrellas, McDowells, west side of Picketpost, north of Cave Creek, etc, they’ve all burned. Can hardly tell now. Vegetation burns, then something grows back. Those mountains have burned before, and they’ll burn again, but it’s no different than anywhere else that has burned. It’ll all recover in some way. This one is just drawing more attention because it’s a popular area.

[SpiderLegs]

Must be a big one, I could see the smoke plume from my neighborhood in NW Tucson.

[chumley]

@SpiderLegs
You don't say?

[Grimey]

Smoke plume from my office.

[DixieFlyer]

Here is an interesting article about the Rio Fire of 1995, and the ensuing recovery in the desert

https://apeekatthepeak.org/rio-fire-rem ... ly-7-1995/

[LindaAnn]

@DixieFlyer Thanks for the link. Good read. Seems like everything bounced back quickly, even though the first few years afterward were very dry. Obviously the saguaros will take longer, but it sounds like they are at the level you would expect at this many years out. Interesting that the human restoration efforts were mostly unsuccessful. Best to just let nature do its thing.

[DixieFlyer]

@DixieFlyer Seems like everything bounced back quickly, even though the first few years afterward were very dry. Obviously the saguaros will take longer...Interesting that the human restoration efforts were mostly unsuccessful. Best to just let nature do its thing.

True. Other than saguaros, in the desert I think that plants will regrow much faster than what many people think....and some plant species need fire for their seeds to germinate

[chumley]

some plant species need fire for their seeds to germinate

I’m curious as to which native Sonoran desert plants need fire for seeds to germinate. Or did this discussion suddenly turn to a totally different type of ecosystem?

[chumley]

The progression map showing yesterday's growth was published an hour ago and shows that the fire burned the top of Malapais Mountain yesterday and entered the Reavis Valley, burning Mound Mountain and across the fireline trail. It would be nice if they are able to keep it from dropping down into Campaign Creek and spreading farther east...

Nearly the entire 7 mile section of the AZT from Rogers Trough TH to the north end of the Reavis Valley is within the current fire perimeter.

[Tough_Boots]

It also depends on how the fire effects the water table, aquifer, the ability for wildlife to return and thrive, etc. The long term effects are likely somewhere on the scale between "fine" and "catastrophic" in a zone many not driven to speculation refer to as "too soon to tell".

[big_load]

It also depends on how the fire effects the water table, aquifer, the ability for wildlife to return and thrive, etc. The long term effects are likely somewhere on the scale between "fine" and "catastrophic" in a zone many not driven to speculation refer to as "too soon to tell".

One thing nobody has commented on are the springs. Elsewhere in AZ, fires have dried up springs for extremely long periods, at least on a human time scale.

[joebartels]

updated with 11am perimeter
[ Woodbury Fire - Progressive Perimeter :: map ]

[pixelfrog]

@big_load agreed this could fundamentally change the hydrology of the Supes, and people’s ability to hike it with fewer reliable water sources.

[tibber]

looks like it's at Reavis Ranch

[ALMAL]

@tibber
Have lived here 12 years now and only made my first trip for apples last year, glad I made two trips last year.

[LosDosSloFolks]

@tibber
I was there only once to see the apple trees, (1972 w/the Boy Scouts), and it left me with a clear memory to this day. Sad to hear it's burning.

[big_load]

I was there only once to see the apple trees,

I could never get any sleep near the orchard because of the deer being so curious about my tent and the apples attracting so many deer.

[ALMAL]

@big_load
[ photo ]

[hondah35]

The progression map showing yesterday's growth was published an hour ago and shows that the fire burned the top of Malapais Mountain yesterday and entered the Reavis Valley, burning Mound Mountain and across the fireline trail. It would be nice if they are able to keep it from dropping down into Campaign Creek and spreading farther east...

I wish I was wrong but I don't think there is any active firefighting going on in the wilderness. No fire crews and I don't believe any fire retardant has been dropped in the wilderness. I believe most of the retardant has been dropped on the southwest flank south of Fraser Canyon to keep it from running toward the southwest. The Rogers Canyon cliff dwellings and Circlestone were listed as assets to be protected but I'm not convinced anything has been done even to protect these areas. It's just too remote and even though they are not saying it they appear to be managing this fire in line with the guidelines of the Wilderness Act.

[LindaAnn]

Image of the 9:00am update. Looks like they are making some effort to protect the orchard and some owls.