Tag Archives: Kaibab National Forest

Halfway Fire at 97 Acres, Forward Progress Halted

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TUSAYAN – The Halfway Fire which was ignited by a lightning strike on the Tusayan Ranger District over the weekend grew to 97 acres on Monday, however a combination of initial attack resources including aircraft, hand crews, engines and a dozer working steadily throughout the day and were able to stop forward progress of the fire by early that evening.

Additional resources arrived on Tuesday which reinforced efforts as crews worked to fortify lines and knock down hot spots preventing any further spread. Approximately 80 personnel have been assigned to the incident at this time. The fire is 3 miles east of Tusayan and is now 20% contained. Crews will continue working the next several days improving and securing constructed fire lines, holding the perimeters, and begin mopping up.

Smoke may continue to be visible from the town of Tusayan, Grand Canyon Airport, highway 64, and from areas inside the Grand Canyon National Park. Overnight inversion may cause haze and smoke to drift into the town on Tusayan in the early morning hours over the next few days but is expected to lift and ventilate out rapidly as surfaces warm.

A small portion of the Arizona Trail was affected by the fire, however it remains open. Hikers are asked to follow temporary detour signs encountered on the trail near the burned area. Motorists and visitors are asked to be aware of apparatus and fire personnel when travelling through the area and to avoid driving in the immediate vicinity of the fire where active operations are occurring.

Crews Respond to 50 Acre Wildfire 3 Miles Southeast of Tusayan

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TUSAYAN — Fire crews from the Kaibab National Forest, Tusayan Fire Department, and Grand Canyon National Park responded to a wildfire Monday morning about 3 miles southeast of the town of Tusayan. The 50 acre lightning caused Halfway Fire was discovered by local aircraft and most likely started the day before from a passing thunderstorm.

Multiple resources have been working on the fire Monday including a helicopter, a dozer, 3 engines and miscellaneous overhead. Additional resources have been ordered to assist from neighboring forests and are expected to arrive later today.

The fire is moving in an easterly direction and is not posing a threat to any developed areas or Infrastructure at this time.

Smoke may be visible at times from the town of Tusayan, Grand Canyon Airport, highway 64, and from the east rim drive in Grand Canyon National Park. Motorists are asked to be aware of fire personnel and vehicles and use caution if driving near the vicinity of the fire.

Fire Restrictions to be Lifted Tuesday on Entire Kaibab National Forest

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WILLIAMS — Due to significant and widespread precipitation received across much of northern Arizona, the Kaibab National Forest will lift all fire restrictions on all three districts on Tuesday July 28 at 6:00 a.m.

Coconino County has also lifted fire restrictions in the unincorporated areas.

The area closure protecting the Bill Williams Mountain watershed will also be rescinded at this time, and visitors can once again camp, hike, and drive in the popular recreation areas. However, due to the hazardous nature of technical work in the higher elevations where steep slope fuels reduction operations have been occurring, a revised area closure will be forthcoming in September to ensure public safety on that portion of the mountain as work resumes.

The districts have received a substantial amount of rain over the last two weeks relaxing the danger levels across the forest. Each year fire officials closely monitor conditions before decisions are made to implement fire restrictions and area closures designed to protect human life, property and natural resources. These procedures are used to help prevent unwanted, human-caused fires and to limit the exposure of visitors during periods of potentially dangerous fire conditions.

The Kaibab National Forest would like to express appreciation for all those who assisted our firefighters and patrol units with their compliance while under these conditions. When members of the public abide by fire restrictions and closures, they greatly help in protecting their public lands and adjacent communities from the threats posed by human-caused wildfires.

Jacob Lake evacuations continue as Magnum Fire expands

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JACOB LAKE — Evacuations in the Jacob Lake area continued throughout the weekend and are continuing today in areas threatened by the 24,700+ acre Mangum Fire Burning on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Coconino County Sheriff’s Office along with United States Forest Service personnel throughout the weekend and into the week, continue to patrol and search in and around the Mangum fire vicinity affecting Jacob Lake and surrounding areas. Approximately 230 people were evacuated in initial efforts with another 50 visitors evacuated/escorted out of the area over the weekend.

Sheriff Deputies, along with Forest Service Officers, made personal notifications to residents in the areas of White Sage and Lonesome during the weekend placing them in the “SET” stage for evacuation. Approximately 30 to 35 homes were contacted during this notification,

Due to proximity of the Mangum Fire, Highway 67 was closed over the weekend and remains closed at this time to all traffic. Visitors are being escorted out at intervals throughout the day up to 4:00 p.m. Forest Service and Park Officials are asking anyone wanting to leave the area to drive to Forest Service road 429 and Highway 67 where the Highway is closed, where escorts out of the fire hazard area will be facilitated by Forest Service Officers. These times are subject to change as Fire conditions change.According to the Kaibab Forest Service, risk remains for the Jacob Lake community but has diminished. Previous fuel treatments conducted by the local Ranger District Office have aided in moderating fire behavior allowing firefighters time to continue improving defensible space around the community. A night shift continued their work.

The fire spotted across containment lines along Forest Road 22 yesterday near Mangum Springs and raced north into grass, brush, and pinon/juniper towards Middle Mountain. Air tankers, including the Very Large Air Tanker, quickly responded with retardant to limit its growth.

Today crews will continue to construct fireline to minimize the fire’s northward movement northeast of highway 89A. Crews will work to attempt to secure fire’s spread near Little Mountain. Forecast weather includes less wind, but dry conditions, high temperatures, and low humidity.

Currently Hwy 89A is closed at M.P. 545 east of Jacob Lake and at mile post 608.8 west of Jacob Lake. Hwy 67 is closed to all traffic. These roadways will remain closed while the Mangum Fire continues to pose a threat to public safety.

As fire efforts continue more information will be made available. For any questions regarding the Mangum fire please contact the USFS at 602-345-0469. For information regarding the evacuation efforts please contact the Sheriff’s Office at 928-226-5089. For Road closures please contact Az Department of Transportation by dialing in state, 511, and out of state 888-411-7623, www.az511.gov

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office urges all residents to sign up for Emergency Notifications to receive any emergency notifications about the fire and possible evacuation notices. Please visit https://www.coconino.az.gov/207/Emergency-Management for information on how to register to get
emergency alerts.

Forest Service Takes Steps to Reduce Human Caused Wildfire during Global Pandemic

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ALBUQUERQUE – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, Southwestern Region is enacting a campfire ban to protect the health and safety of employees and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning April 22, igniting, building, maintaining, attending or using a fire will be prohibited on all six national forests in Arizona until June 30, 2020, or until rescinded.

Forest Service officials are taking the necessary steps to ensure first responders are available to safely respond and manage incidents. This campfire restriction will prevent the drawdown of fire and medical resources to unwanted human-caused wildfires and reduce firefighter exposure to COVID-19 during the current pandemic.

“While we know that going outside provides forest and grassland visitors needed space, exercise and satisfaction, we are taking the risks presented by COVID-19 seriously,” said Acting Regional Forester Elaine Kohrman. “We are providing some recreation opportunities where we can while protecting and keeping employees, the public and our communities safe from the virus and unwanted human-caused wildfires.”

The following is prohibited under the April 22 campfire ban order:

Igniting, building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, including charcoal grills and barbecues, coal and wood burning stoves.

Violating the campfire ban may result in an appearance in federal court, fines, and possible time in jail. Forest visitors will still be able to use pressurized liquid or gas devices (stoves, grills or lanterns) with shut-off valves, in an area at least three feet from any flammable materials. While these restrictions are in place, the majority of the six national forests in Arizona are still open, and dispersed camping – outside of developed campsites – and other recreation opportunities are available.

Visit the Interactive Visitor Map at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/ivm for more information on available activities. For additional information on COVID-19, go to https://www.coronavirus.gov. Information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture is available at: www.usda.gov/coronavirus. Information on public lands use in Arizona is available at https://tourism.az.gov/responsible-recreation-across-arizona/

Crews Respond to a 15 Acre Wildfire near Sherwood Forest Estates

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WILLIAMS – Fire crews from the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest, Sherwood Forest Estates, and Parks Bellemont Fire Departments responded to a wildfire late Tuesday afternoon south of Interstate 40 near the neighborhood of Sherwood Forest Estates east of Williams.

The Beacon Fire was discovered about 3:00 pm on Tuesday April 7, and was burning in grass and ponderosa pine. Several Local residents reacted quickly with tools and equipment to help slow the spread of the fire as responding units arrived on the scene. The fire was contained just after 5:00 pm at 15.6 acres in size. The fire burned on both private and National Forest land. The cause of the fire is unknown and is under investigation at this time.

Kaibab National Forest seeks public comment on proposed vegetation management project on the North Kaibab Ranger District

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FREDONIA — The Kaibab National Forest is seeking public comment on a proposed vegetation management project on the North Kaibab Ranger District that would improve forest health and vigor while also enhancing habitat conditions in the area.

The Burnt Corral Vegetation Management Project Environmental Assessment and all other project documents and maps are available for review on the Kaibab National Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=44236. The project includes treatments designed to improve forest resiliency by creating conditions better able to withstand climate change and other threats such as unnaturally severe wildfire.

The project proposes the use of prescribed fire as well as the management of naturally-caused wildfire on up to 28,090 acres of the North Kaibab Ranger District. This reintroduction of wildland fire across the landscape would be supported by up to 17,765 acres of commercial and non-commercial mechanical vegetation treatments.

These treatments would promote a healthy mosaic of forest conditions and increase long-term sustainability by creating stands that include a diversity of tree ages and sizes. Larger openings between groups of trees and fewer areas of interlocking crowns would not only increase forage and grass production but would also make the entire project area more resistant to unnaturally severe wildfire.

This is the second official comment period for the project, which was originally scoped in March 2015. Due to the amount of time since the original comment period, the North Kaibab Ranger District decided to offer a second opportunity for the public to provide input. There have been few changes to the original proposed action, as most related to minor acreage adjustments based on actual field surveys and stand data.

“Even though there have not been significant changes, we wanted to ensure our communities and partners had ample opportunity to review the project and provide us with comments,” said Randall Walker, district ranger for the North Kaibab Ranger District.

The Kaibab National Forest encourages members of the public to provide feedback on the Burnt Corral Vegetation Management Project Environmental Assessment during the 30-day comment period. Specific, written comments should be postmarked or sent by April 24.

Comments must be in writing and may be delivered electronically, by mail or facsimile. Electronic comments, including attachments, may be emailed to comments-southwestern-kaibab-north-kaibab@usda.gov. Please include “Burnt Corral Vegetation Management Project” in the subject line. Comments may be submitted electronically in Word (.doc or .docx), rich text format (.rtf), text (.txt), Adobe portable document formats (PDF), or HyperText Markup Language (.html). Submit comments via mail to: U.S. Forest Service, North Kaibab Ranger District, Attn: David Vincelette / NEPA Planner, 430 South Main Street, P.O. Box 248, Fredonia, AZ 86022. Comments may be faxed to 928-643-8105.

Kaibab National Forest closes some recreation sites

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WILLIAMS — The Kaibab National Forest has closed specific recreation and day-use sites indefinitely to protect public health and align with state and local measures already in place to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.

The closed sites on each of the Kaibab National Forest’s three ranger districts are as follows:

North Kaibab Ranger District – (928) 643-7395
· Le Fevre Overlook

Tusayan Ranger District – (928) 638-2443
· Grandview Lookout Tower Day-Use Site
· Russell Tank Day-Use Site

Williams Ranger District – (928) 635-5600
· Oak Hill Snow Play Area
· Kaibab Lake Day-Use Site (boat launch and parking to remain open)
· Dogtown Lake Day-Use Site (boat launch and parking to remain open)
· Sycamore Falls Climbing Area and Day-Use Site

The Kaibab National Forest’s developed campgrounds remain closed, as they have not yet opened for the overnight camping season. All rental cabins on the forest are also closed. More recreation sites may close in the future as forest officials continue to monitor conditions and evaluate appropriate actions to limit the spread of COVID-19.

While specific recreation sites on the Kaibab National Forest are closed, most of the forest is open for visitors who want to spend time outdoors. Recreation opportunities that support social distancing, such as hiking, biking, wildlife viewing and dispersed camping, remain available.

The Kaibab National Forest asks members of the public to recreate responsibly by avoiding high-risk activities that could increase the chance of injury or distress. Law enforcement and search and rescue operations may be limited due to COVID-19. While being outside is believed to be safer than indoor spaces, visitors to national forests are urged to take the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommended precautions.

Visitors can help reduce impacts to their public lands and protect forest resources for the future by following Leave No Trace outdoor ethics including properly disposing of waste, respecting wildlife, leaving in place artifacts and other objects of interest, and avoiding the creation of damage by staying on established roads and trails.

All Kaibab National Forest offices are conducting business and providing services virtually. Customers needing information, permits and maps are encouraged to call the following offices during regular business hours for prompt customer service:

Supervisor’s Office – (928) 635-8200
Williams Ranger District – (928) 635-5600
Tusayan Ranger District – (928) 638-2443
North Kaibab Ranger District – (928) 643-7395

Kaibab National Forest information is also available through the following sources:

Kaibab National Forest Website: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab
Twitter: www.twitter.com/KaibabNF
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KaibabNF
Flickr: http://bit.ly/KaibabNFPhotos

Kaibab National Forest offers virtual services in response to COVID-19

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WILLIAMS — The Kaibab National Forest is implementing virtual services to protect the health and safety of employees and members of the public during the COVID-19 outbreak in accordance with guidance from federal and state authorities.

Customers needing information, permits and maps are encouraged to call the following offices during regular business hours for prompt customer service.

Supervisor’s Office – (928) 635-8200
Williams Ranger District – (928) 635-5600
Tusayan Ranger District – (928) 638-2443
North Kaibab Ranger District – (928) 643-7395

“As we work through an unpredictable and rapidly changing situation, health and safety is our number one priority,” said Kaibab National Forest Supervisor Heather Provencio. “We are committed to continuing to support our communities and fulfill our mission as we all work together to minimize the impacts and spread of COVID-19.”

These actions have been taken based on the best available medical advice to limit gatherings of large numbers of people and to promote social distancing.

While being outside on a national forest is believed to be safer than indoor spaces, visitors are urged to take the precautions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For tips from the CDC on preventing illnesses like the coronavirus, go to www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention.html.

For additional information about the Kaibab National Forest, visit www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab.

Kaibab National Forest Focuses on Public, Employee Health & Safety in Response to COVID-19

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WILLIAMS — The Kaibab National Forest is implementing procedures and protocols to protect the health and safety of employees and members of the public during the COVID-19 outbreak in accordance with guidance from federal and state authorities.

“Health and human safety for the public, as well as our employees, are the highest priority during this rapidly evolving situation,” Kaibab NF Forest Supervisor Heather Provencio said. “We want to support our communities while continuing the Forest Service mission with minimum exposure to any health risk.”

Examples of steps the forest is taking include asking customers and other stakeholders to minimize personal contact by calling forest offices for assistance rather than coming in person, postponing non-critical business with the Forest Service and practicing “social distancing” when they encounter Forest Service employees in the field.

To contact the Kaibab National Forest via phone:
· Supervisor’s Office: 928-635-8200
· North Kaibab Ranger District: 928-643-7395
· Tusayan Ranger District: 928-638-2443
· Williams Ranger District: 928-635-5600

Social media for Kaibab National is located at:
· Twitter: www.twitter.com/KaibabNF
· Kaibab Facebook: www.facebook.com/KaibabNF
· Kaibab website “Recent News”: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab