Daily Archives: May 22, 2014

Slide Rock Fire grows to 7,500 acres

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slide-rock-helicopter-01OAK CREEK – The Slide Rock Fire has grown to 7,500 acres according to an 8 p.m. update. The fire is reported to be 5% contained.

Coconino National Forest photo

Coconino National Forest photo

Crews continued to hold the fire west of Highway 89A and south of Fry Canyon. A small spot fire occurred across the northern line into an area that was previously thinned in 2006. Because this area was previously treated, the spot fire was unable to grow and crews quickly extinguished it. Hotshot crews also worked to create fire line across the Pumphouse Wash near the Hwy 89A ‘switchbacks’ to control the east flank and prevent further spread east.

Winds increased to 18-22mph with gusts of 32, temperatures were in the 70s. As the day continued to warm, firefighters saw an increase in fire behavior, with the most active portion of the fire toward the northwest to Harding Point. Firefighters observed active fire in the East Pocket area, but previously dropped retardant helped firefighters minimize growth.

Tonight firefighters will be working throughout the lower canyon to monitor fire activity and conduct burnout operations as necessary. Overnight downslope winds will likely continue to drive the fire down canyon. Erratic winds may also be present producing moderate fire behavior. Crews will conduct burnout operations along forest service road 535 and prepare FSR 231 for continued burnout operations tomorrow.

Earlier we reported that highway 89A from Sedona to Fort Tuthill in Flagstaff was open, but that is incorrect. It remains closed. Other routes closed are Forest Road (FR) 535 at Highway 89A, FR 533 at Highway 89A, FR 231 at Rogers Lake, FR 527 and 530 (west side; Volunteer Canyon area), and Casner Mountain is closed to all vehicles.

Evacuations remain in place in Oak Creek Canyon from Slide Rock State Park to Sterling Springs Hatchery. Coconino County issued a pre-evacuation notice to residents of Kachina Village and Forest Highlands subdivisions. Residents are advised to be prepared to evacuate. County Emergency Management encourages those in the affected neighborhoods to begin packing important items they may need for several days. These items include prescriptions, important papers, any special dietary needs and pets. No new evacuations are in place at this time.

Coconino County is reminding people to register their cellphone number with the County’s CodeRED emergency notification system. Only those residents whose numbers are registered will receive a direct phone call about any type of pre- or mandatory evacuation order.

Slide Rock Fire delays improvement project on SR 89A

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State Route 89A is closed between Flagstaff and Sedona.

adot-logo3PHOENIX — Due to the ongoing firefighting efforts against the Slide Fire in Oak Creek Canyon, the State Route 89A improvement project along the switchbacks north of Sedona is on hold at this time, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

ADOT had been preparing for a scheduled closure of the SR 89A switchbacks for a pavement and safety-improvement project starting on Tuesday, May 27, at the conclusion of the Memorial Day weekend.

Crews were pulled off the project Tuesday afternoon shortly after the start of the Slide Fire, which originated approximately six miles south of the project near Slide Rock State Park.

Currently, SR 89A (mileposts 375-397) remains closed in both directions between Sedona and Flagstaff due to a wildfire that began Tuesday afternoon in the Oak Creek Canyon area.

Once the fire has been contained and access is allowed in the affected area, ADOT will need to conduct a roadway and rockfall assessment prior to any work resuming on the SR 89A project. Any potential environmental issues must also be addressed following the fire and all post-fire operations will be coordinated with the U.S. Forest Service.

Work began on the $2 million project to upgrade a three-and-a-half-mile segment of SR 89A between the Pine Flat Campground and Vista Point Overlook (mileposts 387-390) on April 21.

Sheriff’s Deputies investigate murder of Flagstaff Man

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FLAGSTAFF – Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies and Detectives are investigating the murder of 56 year-old David Allen Christine of Flagstaff, AZ. Mr. Christine’s body was located by a passing motorist near Star School located on Leupp Road.

On Wednesday, May 21, 2014 at about 5:30 a.m. the Flagstaff Police Department/Coconino County Sheriff’s 911 Dispatch Center received a call from a motorist who was traveling on Leupp Road (Forrest Service 505). According to the reporting party, he was in the area located just east of Star School when he observed what he believed to be a body off of the roadway in the dirt.

Deputies arrived to find a Guardian Medical Transport team was already on scene. The subject was found to be deceased. During the initial investigation a detective who was at the scene observed indications of foul play. After the scene was processed and photographed, the victim was transported to the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office in Flagstaff.

There were no forms of identification on the victim, and detectives received information causing them to believe the individual frequented several homeless shelters in Flagstaff. Investigators interviewed multiple clients of several homeless centers in Flagstaff in an attempt to identify the victim but met with no results.

Fingerprints were taken from the deceased and with the assistance of the United States Marshals Office the prints were submitted to a federal forensic laboratory that provides results in a short period of time. The results of the fingerprint analysis identified the body to be that of 56 year-old David Allen Christine of Flagstaff. Subsequently Flagstaff Police Officers located a white Plymouth mini-van registered to the victim parked outside a local motel.

The victim is described as a white male, 56 years of age, 5’11” in height, weighing approximately 135 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He was wearing black Levi pants, black shoes, a beige
t-shirt, and a blue Columbia polar fleece jacket.

Manner of death will be determined during the examination conducted by the Medical Examiner’s Office.

Bear tries to check-in at Bearizona

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Photo courtesy of Bearizona Wildlife Drive Through park.

Photo courtesy of Bearizona Wildlife Drive Through park.

WILLIAMS – Apparently word is getting around how good it is for the animals at Bearizona Wildlife drive through park in Williams. Bearizona staff and visitors were paid a visit by a wild bear Wednesday afternoon around 2:00 pm apparently trying to check-in. Bearizona immediately closed for the remainder of the day for the safety of visitors.

Visitors reported that a bear was “loose” a few feet off the sidewalk in Fort Bearizona. Bearizona staff responded by initiating their Escape and Recapture plan which included evacuating the walk thru area and moving all bears into lock down, while the Recapture Team maintained a visual presence with the bear and prepared for sedation. As visitors calmly left the area, Bearizona staff soon realized that all of the park’s bears were accounted for.

“Even before we began to lock down and count our bears, I took one look at that bear and knew it was not one of ours, ” reported Laura Leinaar, Animal Keeper. “We see our bears every day and can recognize who they are at a glance by their faces and how they walk. This bear didn’t look or walk like any of our bears.”

The bear was sedated while on the ground but immediately climbed a tree and became immobilized about 55 feet in the air nestled among several branches. A team from the Arizona Game and Fish Regional II office in Flagstaff was dispatched and safely removed the bear from the tree. Wildlife managers tagged the male bear and relocated it. “We have a great relationship with the Arizona Game and Fish and are grateful for their help and efficiency while handling this situation,” said Bearizona Chief Operating Officer, Vanessa Stoffel.

After inspecting perimeter fences Stoffel concluded that “The bear likely entered a service entrance gate from the parking lot that borders the Kaibab National forest.” She added, “There are several factors that could have resulted in his visit including the drought and the Slide Fire.”

Williams wakes up to Slide Rock fire smoke

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srfw-140522-02WILLIAMS – The citizens of the City of Williams woke up with a reminder of just how serious the fire in Oak Creek is. Like Flagstaff yesterday, Williams seems to be receiving smoke from the Slide Rock fire. The City of Williams is almost 39-miles from the south edge of the fire threatening Kachina Village and Forest Highlands.

About 3,000 residents of Kachina Village and Forest Highlands have been warned to evacuate. An email we received indicated that Munds Park and Mountainair may be evacuated if the fire jumps I-17, but we have found no official information.

The fire, reported at about 4 p.m. on Tuesday, started about 5 miles north of Sedona just north of Slide Rock State Park. the fire has grown to 4,830 acres due to high winds and difficult terrain. The difficulty of fighting the fire and the swiftness of its spread is also caused by lawsuits generated by “green” organizations which prevent the forest service from ridding the forest of fire fuels. This also forces the forest service to fund legal fees over maintaining the forest.

As of last night, fire managers saw very active fire behavior including runs, spotting, and torching as the fire became established in the upper Sterling Canyon area. Crews quickly responded with burnout operations along forest service road 535 west to State Route 89A to the north. Fire retardant was also used heavily in steep terrain along the west flank with good results. The latest word from the Coconinco County Sheriff’s Office hotline is that 89a is open and passable, but motorist are cautioned about the smoky conditions causing limited visibility. For motorist for respiratory conditions, you might consider Interstate 17 to State Route 179 to get to Sedona.

The fire transitioned to a Type I Incident Management Team bringing many additional resources to the fire. 840 fire fighting personnel are battling the blaze including Hot Shot crews and air craft.

Approximately 300 structures, private homes as well vacation resort cabins and a Forest Service lookout tower.

While the fire is under investigation, it appears to be human caused. Law Enforcement is seeking any information the public may have regarding the start of the Slide Fire and anyone of suspicion in the area yesterday between Slide Rock State Park and Half Way Picnic Area. The public should call Forest Service Law Enforcement at 928-527-3511 if they have any information that might assist law enforcement in the investigation.

As of late, Kaibab National Forest has not indicated a closure of the forest. Bob Pena, a local resident with 28-years of fire fighting service, said that the forest service does not evoke closures until the fire danger reaches extreme. Current fire danger is high.

Northern Arizona is still waiting to see what thunderstorms predicted over the weekend will bring. It is hoped that sufficient rainfall will assist fire fighters on the Slide Rock Fire as well as dampen the other forest areas to prevent new problems.
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