2021 Fire Season

[Jim]

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7438/

Commence your freakout. Might burn the mountain, might not.

I saw the large smoke plume yesterday around 5 PM in a Satellite image but figured it was so large that it must have been a cloud shield. Nope.

[RedRoxx44]

Pinnacle fire now about 31K acres and wind shift has it running west and somewhat north, toward more private land and back into burning most of the wilderness. Post BAER is happening for part of Telegraph which is now at 180K acres, it seems some anticipation for more fire activity around Mescal mountain once again.

[chumley]

Bear Fire is being allowed to burn with just protection for specific points of value. US 191 is closed south of Hannagan Meadow.

West Chev fire is burning near Chevelon Canyon Lake. A type 2 team is ordered as fuels in the area are expected to allow significant growth.

Wyrick fire is burning northwest of Heber.

Rafael Fire is threatening Sycamore Canyon and Coconino NF is clearing campers from the forest in the area of Woody Mtn Road and FR535 on the rim above Sedona, and homes in Garland Prairie east of Williams are in "Ready" mode ... that's an enormous area that is watching this one.

In addition to Backbone, these four are all lighting starts.

[The_Eagle]

Backbone morning update 33,000 acres, 0% contained

[joebartels]

Full closure of Coconino NF begins Wednesday

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz., June 21, 2021 — Due to fire danger, dry conditions, and persistent wildfire activity during a time when firefighting resources are sparse, the entirety of Coconino National Forest will close for public safety, beginning Wednesday (June 23) at 8 a.m.

A full forest closure means that the public is prohibited from entering any part of Coconino National Forest at any time. Only those with private inholdings will be allowed access to their property, as well as personnel providing utility support where necessary, and firefighters performing their duties.

Forest Service personnel will attempt to reach as many people as possible to begin vacating campsites and informing individuals who are camping in the forest currently. Campers and visitors to the national forest should vacate their campsites before the closure begins, and the public should cancel any plans for visiting the Coconino National Forest for the next several weeks.

Though parts of the national forest may receive rain from sporadic storms over the next couple of weeks, this closure will not be rescinded until sufficient precipitation is received to adequately reduce the risk of wildfire, and hot, dry weather conditions are no longer forecast to continue. In short, this closure will continue until conditions are such that the closure can be lifted.

Work on thinning and other forest and watershed restoration projects will cease. Partner agencies, organizations, concessionaires, outfitters, permit holders, and contractors, are all prohibited from entering the national forest.

Violating closures and fire restrictions is a violation that carries a mandatory appearance in federal court, punishable as a Class B misdemeanor with a fine of up to $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, or up to six months in prison, or both.

[chumley]

@joebartels
Prescott, Tonto, Kaibab and A-S have been very much in lockstep with each other this year. I wonder if the others are just getting their ducks in a row before announcing the same.

[Jim]

Geeze, good thing I wasn't planning on Humphrey this season/year. This is usually prime time.

Good thing you got Elden in, Joe.

[chumley]

Rafael Fire now has pretty much everything south of I-40 between Sycamore Canyon and I-17 in "set" mode, including all the neighborhoods southwest of Flagstaff.

[trekkin_gecko]

good article on backbone fire in the payson roundup:

https://www.paysonroundup.com/news/loca ... e0fee.html

[trekkin_gecko]

nice map as part of this article on rafael fire:

https://azdailysun.com/news/local/rafae ... op-story-1

[The_Eagle]

@trekkin_gecko
This line caught my attention

“The wood purchased at Home Depot or Lowe’s has kiln dried moisture levels of 12%,” he said, “Fuel moistures today are at 3%.”

[DixieFlyer]

It looks like the Coconino Forest will be shutting down on Wednesday: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/coconino ... EPRD924914

[chumley]

Wyrick Fire forces closure of SR 260 and 277 and evacuation in GO mode north of Heber.

New start, Snake Fire, on the edge of West Clear Creek west of Clints Well. Happy Jack and other communities and ranches in the area are on Set status.

[RedRoxx44]

@DixieFlyer
All the other forests' should do that at this time. Having enough problems with natural starts much less idiots in the mix.

[DixieFlyer]

@RedRoxx44
I certainly won't disagree with you.

[pixelfrog]

@chumley where'd you see the Snake Fire info? I don't see any fire detections in that area.

[chumley]

@pixelfrog Coconino NF and Sheriff's office posted on FB and Twitter.

[kelly14]

I was hiking today just north of the area in which the snake fire is at and was very surprised in how much of the ground was covered in ashes… I wonder if embers could have flown this far from the backbone fire??

[DixieFlyer]

@DixieFlyer
All the other forests' should do that at this time. Having enough problems with natural starts much less idiots in the mix.

It looks like the Kaibab Forest took your advice: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/kaibab/n ... EPRD924930

[chumley]

@kelly14 It was "snowing" ash from the Backbone Fire 30 miles away over the weekend. That area is half as far and in the direction of prevailing wind, so that doesn't surprise me at all.

[JimmyLyding]

As my current state's former governator used to say, "velcome to caulifornee-uh."
I suggest picking up a packing tape dispenser (tape gun) and a case of packing tape to seal up one's domicile during particularly bad periods of smoke. It's awesome, but here we go.