2018 Fire Season

[outdoor_lover]

And so it begins... in February....

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5682/

[azbackpackr]

rain in Flagstaff this weekend

It rained on Saturday, a total of less than .4 inches at the Flag airport. Today, Sunday, it's supposed to be sunny, and sunny the rest of the week. I seriously doubt the powers-that-be are going to reopen everything just yet. The forecast for the next week is sunny, dry and breezy. Exactly the weather we had before the fluky hurricane thing went through.

I hear that the trailhead parking at Kendrick Peak has been mobbed lately.

[Jim]

Yeah, the spring fire season is nowhere near over.

[SonoranSon]

Looking to get into some backpacking/flyfishing on the Black River this weekend. Any parts of Apache-Sitgreaves NF closed surrounding the river? Specifically the main stem at FR 25 and/or upper west fork. Just trying to get on the river for a few days and I will be cold-soaking food even if those areas aren't closed.

[tibber]

see to the right side of the forum is Forest News and you can click on the May 24 Alert under Apache Sitgreaves News that eventually takes you to the News Releases: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/asnf/new ... EPRD581440

[Pivo]

@SonoranSon
You can always access from the Reservation near point of Pines if you're really jonesing for some backpacking and fishing. I don't believe The San Carlos Apache (Stage 2 fire restrictions) or the White Mountain Apache( Stage 2 Restrictions) have closed their forests.

[DixieFlyer]

@Pivo
The WMAT has closed their "backcountry", including the Mount Baldy summit

[chumley]

@DixieFlyer
@pivo
SCAT also has closures including Point of Pines. Notably, the WMAT closure now includes the instapopular Cibecue Falls.

[Pivo]

@chumley
Todd, I looked on the websites for both nations, where did you find the closure postings?

[chumley]

@Pivo
Click for WMAT
Click for SCAT

It's honestly maddening to try and find the official information for all the different agencies. Even the so-called consolidation sites (firerestrictions.us) do a terrible job at it. It's no wonder people don't know ahead of time.

That said, there are ample signs and barricades as you get out that way. It sure is nice to know before you go though.

[DixieFlyer]

I looked on the websites for both nations, where did you find the closure postings?
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for the WMAT, I went to the facebook page for Gwendena Lee-Gatewood, Chairwoman of the WMAT: https://www.facebook.com/cotwmat/
from her page, scroll down to a post on June 20

I don't know why the WMAT doesn't put the info on their website, but I think that Ms. Lee-Gatewood is a big fan of social media

[chumley]

I don't know why the WMAT doesn't put the info on their website

See post above:

Click for WMAT

[Pivo]

@chumley
A bit scary when the go to information resource for a government is FB.

[chumley]

@Pivo
It’s a lot easier for one person to update their instafacechat than it is to employ somebody who knows how to update a website. Some of these agencies obviously don’t have a web person on staff, so changes probably cost them an outsourcing fee.

[ljcygnet]

Even if you call the relevant agencies you're likely to get conflicting or confusing information. About three weeks ago I spent two days on the phone trying to find if Sycamore Creek east of Clarkdale was open. I knew it wasn't in a fire closure area but I was concerned about the fire in that area. I was also concerned about increased risk of flash flooding in an already flashy area.

Variously, I was told by different people:

1) It was closed due to fire danger (not the fire, but part of the fire closure area). I knew this was not correct.
2) I needed to call the other National Forest to find out ... repeatedly, by both relevant National Forests. (Sycamore straddles two -- Coconino and blanking on the other one.)
3) There was a fire in the area, of *course* it was closed, with the implication I was being silly even for asking.
4) Sycamore Creek was in the Tonto National forest and I needed to call *them.*
5) CSR was unable to differentiate between a closure due to an actual fire and fire danger and kept confusing the two concepts.

Most answers were delivered in vague tones of "yeah, I think this is right" that gave me little confidence in the answer. The person who insisted Sycamore was in the TNF, however, asserted this quite firmly and then hung up on me when I asked to speak to someone above her. (She was looking at the wrong Sycamore Creek.)

I finally got Coconino's Public Information Officer on the phone and she gave me the scoop that it was open, there was not much of an increased flash flood risk, and then provided some details that let me know SHE knew was she was talking about.

Now, I'm pretty savvy, known Arizona geography pretty well, and had already done my research -- my only question was, "Is the canyon closed due to the fire?" And it took me two lunch hours at work to get an answer. The average weekend camper from the city is likely not going to go to the effort or have the base of knowledge to recognize when they're being given wrong information.

Very frustrating.

[Pivo]

@ljcygnet
I see you failed to consult the omnipotent FaceBook. As I understand it, it's the go to resource for forest closures, fire restrictions, acne cures.

[rwstorm]

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5868/

[lhalloran]

I wish there was one unified map that the various forestry agencies all shared access to, and updated their relevant locations. I hate having to search through a stack of maps to find out if an area I am looking at going camping in will be closed or not! I had to scrap plans on a hike weeks after suggesting it, not realizing that the entire forest was closed! (Coconino forest, Mogollon Rim the Cabin Loop area- great hike for an overnight backpacking stay by the way, best within 3 hours of Phoenix in my opinion!)

I get why, I really do. People are going to break the rules in a certain percentage and burn down the entire forest. But it really needs to be easier to look up where the fire bans are going on, or people will continue to break the rules without even knowing it.

Another issue is that a freakin' typhoon could roll through an area and the forestry service may not lift the fire ban for weeks afterwards...

Ugh!

[lhalloran]

I just wish jerks would stop lighting things on fire. Then everyone could enjoy the outdoors even when it is dry.

[Tough_Boots]

I just wish jerks would stop lighting things on fire. Then everyone could enjoy the outdoors even when it is dry.

It's not that simple. All sorts of things can set fire when it's dry enough. One fire this year started because a chain from someone's trailer threw a spark when it hit the road. A month ago a ranger told me that the forest service can't enter on horseback during stage III because of the metal horse shoes.

As for the ease of finding closure info-- I like that people are forced to research a little. Maybe we should be discouraging those who won't put in minor effort from entering these areas.

[joebartels]

Waymo will probably have enough auto hikers out to keep an eye on the jerks soon. In the meantime, perhaps the forced research will enlighten there are a lot of great hiking opportunities not on 100 best hiking lists.