Schultz Fire on the San Francisco Peaks

[Jim]

http://www.inciweb.org/incident/1996/

INCIDENT UPDATED 40 MIN. AGO
Incident Overview

The Schultz Fire was reported at approximately 11:00 Sunday morning, and is located in the Schultz Pass area on the southeast side of the San Francisco Peaks. Crews are faced with hot, dry weather and high winds. As of 6:00 pm Forest officials believe the fire is approximately 5000 acres. Approximately 300 firefighters are on scene, additional fire resources are en route. Currently there are 8 air tankers and 5 helicopters assigned. The Southwest Type 1 Incident Management Team, Dugger Hughes Incident Commander, is en route and scheduled to assume management of the fire Monday, June 21 at 6:00 am.

Evacuations: Wupatki Trails subdivision; Timberline Estates subdivision, Sunset Crater National Monument; Second Chance Animal Shelter (animals safely evacuated to Fort Tuthill County Park); and there is no mandatory evacuation of Fernwood subdivision, although some residents have left.

Closures: State Highway 89 is closed from MP 433 (2.5 miles north of Sunset Crater National Monument) to Silver Saddle Road.

Basic Information
Incident Type Wildfire
Cause Unknown
Current Situation
Size 5,000 acres
Fuels Involved

Ponderosa pine, mixed conifer and pinyon-juniper
Fire Behavior

Very high rates of spread and high intensities observed. Spotting up to 1/2 mile.
Unit Information
USFS Shield
Coconino National Forest
U.S. Forest Service
1824 S. Thompson St.
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Incident Contact
Emergency Operations Center
Phone: 888-679-8393
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http://hikearizona.com/photoset.php?ID=11500

[chumley]

My co-worker's sister is the lookout at O'Leary Peak. He's not in the office this week, so I'm unable to get many questions answered. I don't know her hours, but she IS paid. I believe she's been at O'Leary for the last few years, but in the past has been on both the north and south rims in different years. She is also in Phoenix this week (until Thursday) so I assume that there's nobody in "her" tower right now. Apparently lookouts get days off? O'Leary probably has one of the "best" views of the progression of the Schultz fire.

[Ckzona]

Wow. Im in Chicago and all the news channels are going crazy with the Schultz Fire. Is it as bad as it sounds?

[chumley]

Is it as bad as it sounds?

News is determined by the quality and quantity of video. In this case, the stations from PHX are feeding nice dramatic HD video with helicopters filming for hours and hours every day.

IMO, No, its not as bad as it sounds ... though to be sure, it certainly has the potential to get there.

News is just a little bored with the whole oil spill thing. That's an epic catastrophe, but video of an oil slick floating in the ocean isn't very captivating for viewers. Crowning fires and billowing smoke are much more "interesting" to keep eyeballs on the TV.

[Nan]

charkellyaz18 wrote:
Is it as bad as it sounds?
News is determined by the quality and quantity of video. In this case, the stations from PHX are feeding nice dramatic HD video with helicopters filming for hours and hours every day.

IMO, No, its not as bad as it sounds ... though to be sure, it certainly has the potential to get there.

Remember the Rodeo-Chediski fire? I was in Mongolia at the time - they had it on the Russian-language TV news! That was wild.

[joebartels]

Arizona is the low key envy of the world

[chumley]

There's now a perimeter map online. Looks like weatherford is currently ok, but it appears to have jumped the waterline road.

[hippiepunkpirate]

Looks like weatherford is currently ok

Yup, as I said, it's getting blown away from the Weatherford.

[hippiepunkpirate]

Oh, and fire restrictions start Wednesday: no forest closures yet.

http://azdailysun.com/news/local/articl ... 002e0.html

[Jim]

Oh, and fire restrictions start Wednesday: no forest closures yet.

http://azdailysun.com/news/local/articl ... 002e0.html

Yeah, why not today?

[Dschur]

Press Release from 1430 today

Schultz Fire Update


Flagstaff, AZ - The fire is currently more than 8,859 acres and growing with 0 percent containment. No structures have been lost.

New evacuation orders are in effect for Hutchinson Acres located west of North Highway 89 and South Campbell to Government Tank Road. Other evacuations still in effect include Timberline Estates, Wupatki Trails, Sunset Crater and Wupatki National Monuments.

North Highway 89 remains closed at Silver Saddle Road to milepost 433.

The Type I Incident Management Team for the Schultz fire has scheduled a community meeting for Monday, June 21, 2010, at 7:00 PM. The meeting will take place at Coconino High School located at 2801 N. Izabel in Flagstaff. The meeting will include updates on the Schultz fire and the Hardy fire.

Press conference and incident update are scheduled for 5:00 PM at 911 Sawmill Road, Flagstaff.

Multiple resources have responded including the U.S. Forest Service and surrounding fire departments. Over 400 firefighters are on the scene of the Schultz Fire. Air tankers are temporarily grounded due to high winds. Entities assisting with the effort include the United States Forest Service, the Coconino County Sheriff's office, the Flagstaff Fire Department, Northern Arizona University and the State of Arizona. A Type One Incident Management Team is currently managing the incident.

The Schultz Fire started at approximately 11:09 am on Sunday and is located west of north Highway 89, east of Flagstaff, and north of Mount Elden. The Sheriff's office is recommending that evacuation kits include prescription medications, important paperwork, pet care products, a change of clothing and water.

DPS is suggesting alternative routes of State Route 64 through the East Entrance to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park (no commercial vehicles are permitted in the park) or State Route 160 through Tuba City to State Route 264 to State Route 87 onto Interstate 40. Travelers who choose not to take one of these alternative routes may stay at the Red Cross Shelter at Mount Elden Middle School located at the northwest corner of Linda Vista and Fourth Street in Flagstaff.

Residents can expect smoke from both the Schultz and the Hardy fires to settle into neighborhoods overnight, including areas outside the immediate evacuation areas. Anyone who can see, taste or smell smoke should curtail outdoor activity. People with heart disease, lung disease or asthma should avoid outdoors entirely, as should children and the elderly. If you are in the areas with heavy smoke and have not been instructed to evacuate, you are advised to remain indoors or to leave the area if you experience breathing difficulties. Please consult the Coconino County Health Department website at http://www.coconino.az.gov/health.aspx id=6564 regarding potential hazards dealing with smoke inhalation.

The Red Cross has set up a shelter at Mt. Elden Middle School at 3233 North Fourth Street, Flagstaff. Evacuees are encouraged to register at Mt Elden Middle School to ensure information can be relayed.

The Salvation Army is reporting that no material donations are needed at this time. However, if individuals are interested in volunteering or financial donations, please call United Way of Northern Arizona at (928) 773-9813.

Residents are encouraged to register for Ready Coconino at http://www.readycoconino.az.gov/. Additional information on the Schultz fire can be obtained at 1-888-679-8393. Information is posted at http://www.coconinoforest.us/ and on http://www.twitter.com/CoconinoNF


Mike


Mike

[chumley]

Yeah, why not today?

I believe there are certain procedures and notifications that are required. This also involves posting the restrictions on countless signs across the forest. After all, its difficult to enforce an order that nobody knows about.

In my opinion, without the Schultz Fire, there no restrictions would have been enacted all year unless monsoon moisture didn't arrive in a timely fashion. But the personnel now committed to Schultz limits the availability to fight any other fires that might start. But relative to other years, its not that dry out there. There were parts of the rim that were still under snow a month ago!

[Jim]

closure order
http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/nepa/f ... 0-03-f.pdf

[cindyl]

Do you know if this affects the Humphreys Peak Summit Trail (or access to it)?

[Jim]

It does, see the trail list above.

[chumley]

Do you know if this affects the Humphreys Peak Summit Trail (or access to it)?

Yes it does. If you look at the PDF attached to the post above yours there is a map of the closure area.

[cindyl]

there goes the weekend plans. drat!

[Jim]

there goes the weekend plans. drat!

Well, how about Baldy near Greer?

[cindyl]

Well, how about Baldy near Greer?

Humphreys has been on my bucket list ever since last May (2009) when an early non-soon storm impacted our ascent and we were forced to turn around at the saddle. I did Baldy last September, so I don't have any great desire to do it again this soon. There are some lookouts in the area that I haven't been to, so I'm not against finding a camp spot in the White Mountains, though.

[hikeaz]

Well, how about Baldy near Greer?

Humphreys has been on my bucket list ever since last May (2009) when an early non-soon storm impacted our ascent and we were forced to turn around at the saddle. I did Baldy last September, so I don't have any great desire to do it again this soon. There are some lookouts in the area that I haven't been to, so I'm not against finding a camp spot in the White Mountains, though.

Good thinking.... rather than curse the darkness, light a candle....

A few of us are backpacking the West Fork of the Black this weekend - If interested in joining us, just PM.

[azbackpackr]

I'm doing Bear Wallow Wilderness this weekend--overnight bp--or I'd be interested. Bear Wallow is overrated, IMO, but friends put the trip together, so I plan to show up.