smoke

The Cat Fire continues to spread slowly to the southeast, creeping along the forest floor and occasionally flaming up in areas where there are dense pockets of unburned fuel. 

“The fire is creating a mosaic of burned and unburned patches within the wilderness,” said North Kaibab District Ranger Randall Walker. “It’s doing what fire has naturally done here, enhancing the wilderness character and creating a diverse landscape.”

Resources:

Total of 102 personnel including two hotshot crews, nine engines, and two water tenders

Weather conditions were favorable for burnout operations across the Stina Fire yesterday.  Burnout operations occurred across three flanks yesterday, with the northeast flank having the most activity along a 1.5-mile stretch of fireline.

“We made big strides in securing the northeast edge of the fire yesterday,” said Incident Commander Trainee Dave Veater.  Crews also started conducting burnout operations on the eastern and southern flank of the fire. 

Resources

Two 20-person hotshot crews and one 20-person Type-two hand crew

The Obi Fire is estimated at 9,921 acres. Growth today was primarily in the southern portions of the fire perimeter as the fire continues to back down towards Cape Royal. Fire behavior is active with isolated tree torching and surface fire of one to four foot flames where the fire is consuming dead logs. The fire continues to grow through pine needles and downed logs.

 

Central West Zone Type 3 Team, continues to manage the Cat Fire with full suppression tactics. Fire management decisions are determined with consideration of firefighter safety, location of the fire, available resources, regional and national preparedness levels, and weather forecast.

Maintaining the integrity of cultural and natural resources within the Saddle Mountain Wilderness is a key management objective. “While we are concerned about these valuable resources, our most important resource is people,” said Incident Commander Rob Williams.

Central West Zone Type 3 Team, under the command of Rob Williams, took over the management of the Cat Fire at 6 a.m. today.   The new team will continue suppression efforts started by previous fire crews on scene.  They will also assess the current fire status and develop appropriate management strategies to address the challenges of maintaining firefighter safety while fighting fire within the rugged terrain of Saddle Mountain Wilderness.

Overview

Date reported: August 6, 2018

Size: 2,387 acres

Active fire behavior was seen on the Cat Fire today, resulting in the consumption of an estimated 800 acres. Fire spread mainly downslope to the east and south predominately in ponderosa and pinyon-juniper fuel types.

Overview

Date reported: August 6, 2018

Size: 2,118 acres

Location: The Cat Fire is about 25 miles southeast of Jacob Lake in the Saddle Mountain Wilderness on the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest.

Grand Canyon National Park has implemented new temporary closures for public and firefighter safety. These include the Swamp Ridge Road, the North Bass Trail, and the Powell Plateau Trail. Fire Point, the Nankoweap Trail, and the Point Imperial Trail remain closed.

 

A slight increase in moisture and monsoon activity on the Cat and Stina Fires occurred yesterday and is expected today as well.  This is a blessing and a curse for firefighters.  Incident Commander Mike Uebel notes that moisture can moderate fire behavior, but strong downdrafts can make for erratic fire behavior and fire movement on areas of the fires not receiving moisture.

Smoke from wildfires in northern Arizona is impacting several communities in Coconino County. The Coconino County Public Health Services District is encouraging individuals to take precautions to protect themselves from the health effects of wildfire smoke.

Many factors influence a person’s susceptibility to smoke. These factors include the level, extent, and duration of exposure, age, and individual susceptibility. Not everyone who is exposed to smoke will have health problems.

Fire managers with the Coconino National Forest continue monitoring and utilizing several lightning-caused fires to benefit the landscape and maintain a healthy ecosystem by allowing fire to fulfill its natural role and consume forest debris.