Tag Archives: Coconino County

Testing of Election Equipment in Coconino County on October 9

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FLAGSTAFF — The public is invited to observe Logic and Accuracy Testing of the programs and equipment that will be used in the general election in Coconino County on November 8. The tests serve to confirm that all accessible voting equipment works properly and that each tabulator accurately tallies a predetermined, marked set of ballots.

The tests will be performed on October 9 beginning at 9 a.m. at 1186 W University Ave, Suite C in Flagstaff. There is limited space in the onsite viewing room; the public is asked to arrive by 8:45 a.m. The testing will be streamed live on the County webpage Live Feed beginning at 9 a.m.

As stated on the Arizona Secretary of State website, “Before each election, voting equipment is tested to ensure that it is operating correctly. This test is performed by the election officials conducting the election as well as by the Secretary of State’s Office.”

“The Logic and Accuracy Tests are the first step in a series of tests and audits conducted throughout the elections process to guarantee the accuracy and integrity of the election equipment in Coconino County,” said Eslir Musta, Coconino County Elections Director.

Questions may be directed to the Coconino County Elections office at 928-679-7896.

Last Call for Basic Archery Clinic

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The last Basic Archery Clinic will be on October 1 at the Archery Range. This clinic is for ages 8 and up and costs $28 for adults and $17 for youth.

The archery clinics require advanced registration, and openings fill quickly! Visit HERE to register for the clinics and other Parks & Recreation programs.

Coconino County thanks volunteers for County Fair

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Thanks to all the workers, volunteers, superintendents, sponsors, partners, vendors, entertainers, exhibitors, contractors, and attendees of the 2022 Coconino County Fair.

More than 42,000 people visited over Labor Day weekend.

If you were inspired by this year’s event, please start thinking about a project you might want to enter next year. From gardening to collecting, there are many opportunities to be part of the Fair. See you at the County Fair next year!

Arguments Sought “For” and “Against” Coconino County Jail District Tax Extension

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FLAGSTAFF — Coconino County’s jail system is administered and operated through a Jail District (District) by the Coconino County Sheriff, who is delegated by Arizona Revised Statutes as keeper of the jail. The District is currently funded by a half-cent excise tax, which expires in 2027. The Coconino County Board of Supervisors serves as the Jail District Board of Directors.

On the upcoming General Election ballot, the District Board of Directors will ask Coconino County voters to extend the existing Jail District tax for maintaining and operating Coconino County jails for 25 years until 2052.

Pursuant to Arizona Revised Statues, Title 19, Section 124, Coconino County will prepare an informational pamphlet that will be mailed to all registered voters in the county prior to the General Election on November 8.

Coconino County requests arguments “For” and “Against” the ballot question for inclusion in the pamphlet. Each argument may not exceed 300 words and must include the original signature of the submitting party. If an argument is sponsored by an organization, it must be signed by two of the organization’s executive officers. If the argument is submitted by a political action committee (PAC), it must be signed by the committee’s chairman or treasurer. The person(s) signing the argument must provide their mailing address and phone number. This information will not be printed in the pamphlet.

Arguments may be submitted in writing and delivered by mail or in person to the Clerk of the Board’s Office, or digitally on a compact disc or USB drive. To meet the requirement for an original signature, digital submissions must be accompanied by a paper copy. Arguments may not be submitted via email or file transfer program. There is no fee to submit an argument.

To be considered for inclusion in the informational pamphlet, all arguments must be received by 5 p.m. (MST), Wednesday, August 10, 2022, in the Coconino County Clerk of the Board’s Office at 219 E Cherry Avenue, Flagstaff, AZ 86001. Interested parties with questions may call (928) 679-2145.

Officials Responding to New Haywire Fire

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FLAGSTAFF – The Pipeline Fire, located 6 miles north of Flagstaff, was reported June 12, 2022, at 10:15 a.m. by a fire lookout and is currently 4,500 acres and active on all sides.

Another fire has been reported, known as the Haywire Fire, northeast of the Pipeline Fire. The fire has burned 1,600 acres and was first reported at 5:30 a.m. this morning. Coconino National Forest is responding to this fire separately from the Pipeline Fire at this time. The
Type 2 Incident Management Team (IMT) will eventually manage both fires.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office has issued GO evacuation orders for the Crater Estates Area. GO means evacuate immediately.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office has also issued GO evacuation orders related to the Pipeline Fire for areas of Schultz Pass Road and Arizona Snowbowl and Timberline South of Brandis. GO means evacuate immediately. Areas currently on SET status include Doney Park and Mount Elden Lookout Road/Mount Elden Estates. SET means danger is in the area; make preparations to evacuate immediately.

All residents are asked to be in READY status and should monitor the situation and be
ready to prepare for evacuation.

To follow the current evacuation status for the Pipeline Fire and Haywire Fire, please visit http://ow.ly/2Nll50JvzE5

Shelter Information:

• A Red Cross Shelter is open for residents evacuated due to the Pipeline Fire at Sinagua Middle School, 3950 E Butler Ave, Flagstaff, 86004.
• A shelter for household animals is available at Coconino Humane Association: 3501 E Butler Ave, Flagstaff, AZ 86004. Please check in with staff upon arrival.
• A Livestock shelter is located at Fort Tuthill County Stables. Those seeking assistance are asked to leave animals in their vehicle or trailer and to check in with staff to complete the animal intake process. Directions to Fort Tuthill County Park are available at: https://www.google.com/maps?q=35.1490865,- 111.6879575&hl=en-US&gl=us&entry=gps&shorturl=1. The livestock stables are self-service. Animal owners are responsible for all services related to their livestock, including feeding and watering, and should bring cages for smaller livestock staying at Fort Tuthill.

US 89 is closed north of Flagstaff due to the Pipeline Fire. The southbound side is closed at milepost 430; the northbound side is closed at milepost 427. There is no estimated time to reopen the road. Real-time highway conditions are available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.com.

Information about the status and activity of the Haywire Fire and suppression efforts can be found on Inciweb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8155/ .

For more information visit www.Coconino.az.gov/PipelineFire or call the Pipeline and Haywire Fire Call Center at 928-679-8525.

Kaibab NF to begin Stage 2 Fire Restrictions May 26

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WILLIAMS – Due to increased fire danger and for public safety, the Kaibab National Forest will elevate to Stage 2 fire restrictions forest wide beginning 8 a.m. Thursday, May 26.

Stage 2 fire restrictions prohibit the following:

  • Building, maintaining, or using a fire, campfire, or stove fire, including charcoal, coal, and briquettes, even in developed recreation sites. This includes smudge pots, pellet grills, and wood stoves. The only exception is using a stove or grill that is solely fueled by pressurized liquid petroleum or pressurized liquid petroleum gas (LPG) fuels.
  • Smoking (except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of any flammable material).
  • Blasting, welding, or operating any acetylene or other torch with an open flame.
  • During the hours of 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., operating a generator, chainsaw or other equipment powered by an internal combustion engine for felling, bucking, skidding, processing, road building and woodcutting during industrial operations or firewood gathering capable of igniting a fire. An exception is allowed for operating generators with an approved spark arrestor in an area barren or cleared of all overhead and surrounding flammable materials within 3 feet of the generator.

Explosives and fireworks are NEVER allowed.

Violations could result in mandatory appearance in a federal court, fines, and/or jail time.

The Kaibab National Forest’s Stage 2 fire restrictions do not prohibit target shooting. However, all existing regulations pertaining to discharging a firearm still apply.

Stage 3 restrictions/closures may be forthcoming if conditions warrant. Forest managers consider several factors before implementing fire restrictions or forest closures, including current fire danger and fire activity, local, regional and national fire preparedness levels, expected weather conditions, availability of firefighting resources, and the economic impacts on businesses and communities. The Kaibab National Forest continues to coordinate with federal, state, tribal and local partners.

Fire restrictions typically remain in effect until the area receives significant, widespread precipitation.

Other national forests and neighboring agencies are also elevating fire restrictions this week. For restriction information on state and federally managed lands in Az visit wildlandfire.az.gov/fire-restrictions. Find restriction information for Coconino County at coconino.az.gov/2595/Fire-Restriction-Information. Additional information about the stages of fire restrictions, forest orders, and general forest conditions can be found at fs.usda.gov/kaibab.

Burned Area Emergency Response team completes Soil Burn Severity map for Tunnel Fire

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FLAGSTAFF – On May 3, Forest Service Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) specialists, led by Brandon Waterman, completed their field data evaluation to produce the Soil Burn Severity (SBS) map for the approximately 19,075-acre Tunnel Fire.

The map and the data delineate unburned, low, moderate and high SBS categories. The BAER team assessing the Tunnel Fire determined that approximately 4,774 acres (24%) of the fire is unburned, approximately 12,285 acres (67%) have low SBS, approximately 1,421 acres (8%) sustained a moderate SBS and only approximately 11 acres (<1%) were identified as having high soil burn severity.The SBS map product is an estimate of fire effects to soils, not fire effects to vegetation. SBS characterizes fire effects to the soil surface and below ground. Fire effects to vegetation would include an estimate of vegetation mortality which does not always correlate with degree of soil burn severity.

Moderate and high soil burn severity can alter or damage physical, chemical, and biological soil properties resulting in increased runoff, erosion, and negative effects to soil productivity. These soil properties include but are not limited to hydrophobicity (water repellency), soil organic matter content, soil pore space, soil cover (effective litter), and soil structure (including grade (degree of aggregation) and type (physical form).

Changes to these soil properties determine the degree of soil burn severity. Water repellency often occurs naturally in soils and it changes as a function of fire. It is frequently discussed as a post-fire effect. Fire can increase the strength and thickness—or depth—of water repellent layers in soil, considerably affecting post-fire water runoff and possibly extending time for recovery of the burned area.

The Tunnel BAER assessment team used remote sensing imagery with field-validated soils data to produce the final SBS map. The BAER team will use the SBS map as an analysis tool to estimate post-fire erosion with subsequent sediment delivery, stream flows and debris flow probabilities. The map is also being shared with cooperating agencies.

The Tunnel Fire soil burn severity map can be downloaded at the “Tunnel Fire BAER” InciWeb site (https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8088/) as a JPEG or PDF version under the “Maps” tab.

As a reminder, The Coconino National Forest has instituted a Forest Closure Order for the area affected by the Tunnel Fire.

Critical fire weather tests lines around Tunnel Fire while containment slightly increases to 3%

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FLAGSTAFF — Additional resources are allowing firefighting efforts to expand to the east on the Tunnel Fire 14 miles northeast of Flagstaff, while firefighters wait to see if established lines around many parts of the 21,087-acre fire hold up to today’s critical fire weather and strong winds.

Since the start of the fire, firefighting efforts have focused on protecting homes and property on the west side of the fire—namely Timberline Estates and Wupatki Trails subdivisions, as well as along Forest Road 420 (Schultz Pass Road).

Proving how challenging the weather and wind component is with this fire, last night at approximately 9 p.m. a spot fire began in Division Alpha in the area of 89 Mesa. Firefighters are working to contain the spot that is currently estimated at 100-150 acres.

With an increase in resources and arrival of the Type 1 Incident Management Team, firefighters will work to get a line around the entire fire. Firefighters will be working on constructing line near Black Mountain today, just east of O’Leary Peak and hand crews will begin constructing line in the Strawberry Crater Wilderness Area.

Though welcome rain fell this morning across many parts of the fire, strong winds forecast today and shifting winds out of the north and east forecast for Saturday and Sunday are still a major concern for fire managers. The fire is currently 21,087 acres and three percent contained. Fire managers are hesitant to call certain areas contained until these wind events pass.

The Coconino National Forest has instituted a Forest Closure Order (PDF) for the area affected by the Tunnel Fire. U.S. Highway 89 is still closed from near milepost 425 (Campbell Road intersection) to 445, but officials are assessing conditions daily. The reopening of the highway is dependent on fire activity and closure allows quick and safe response for firefighters.

Current firefighting resources on scene include 371 firefighters, nine 20-person hand crews, five dozers, 30 engines, one air attack plane, two Type 1 helicopters, and one Type 3 helicopter.

Information about evacuations, structures that have been burned, and when people might be able to return is handled by Coconino County, which is posting updates online via their Coconino County Tunnel Fire page. The County has also established a Coconino County Tunnel Fire Call Center at 928-679-8525 that the public can call with questions.
Coconino County Sheriff’s Office released a statement last night that an estimated 109 properties were impacted by the fire, including 30 residences that were burned and 24 properties with outbuildings destroyed.

Inmate death at Coconino Detention

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FLAGSTAFF – Yesterday evening at approximately 6:00 PM, while conducting a security and welfare check, a Detention Sergeant discovered an unresponsive male in a single cell located in our medical unit. The Sergeant immediately called for additional staff for assistance and began, with the assistance from our Medical Staff, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and other lifesaving measures.

Additionally, staff requested a response of Emergency Medical Services. CPR and an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) was performed and used until personnel from Guardian Medical Transport and the Flagstaff Fire Department arrived and took over lifesaving efforts. Emergency medical personnel performed CPR until 6:39 PM, at which time, the individual was declared deceased.

The individual has been identified as Gibson Benally, 53, of Chinle, AZ. The same day, at approximately 4:45 PM inmates in the housing unit where Mr. Benally was assigned alerted staff that Mr. Benally was experiencing shortness of breath and dizziness. Our Detention Staff went to check on Mr. Benally and contacted our on-duty Nurse to come to the housing unit. Our on-duty Nurse assessed Mr. Benally and our Medical Staff determined that Mr. Benally would be moved to a medical cell for medical observation. Mr. Benally was moved to the medical cell at approximately 5:33 PM. Mr. Benally was currently being housed in a cell by himself when he was found unresponsive.

At this time no foul play is suspected and it appears that Mr. Benally died by an apparent medical related event. The death is currently under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division and pending autopsy and review by the Coconino County Medical Examiner.

Tunnel Fire located north of Flagstaff

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FLAGSTAFF — The Tunnel Fire, located north of Flagstaff along Highway 89 (35°18’14.4″N 111°35’20.4″W) is at 100-plus acres and 0 percent containment.

Fire is rapidly spreading in a northeast direction due to high winds with medium-to-high-range spotting occurring in timber and grass.

The area around Moon Crater and all areas north of Campbell East and West of highway 89 to Sunset Crater are ordered to evacuate. The Antelope Hills area east of Highway 89 is to prepare for evacuation. The Red Cross Evacuation Center is at Sinagua Middle School, 3950 E Butler Ave, Flagstaff, AZ 86004. Animals are not allowed in the evacuation center and must be taken to the Coconino Humane Association. Updated evacuation events can be found here.

While closure orders have not yet been issued, the public is asked to avoid the northern portion of U.S.Highway 89 from Elden Springs Road to the forest boundary for safety.

Resources on scene include three Type 1 handcrews, two dozers, two water tankers and seven engines.

The fire was reported at 4:22 p.m. on Sunday and its cause is under investigation.