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5.2.22 BAER Team Assessment of Crooks Fire Impacts
Crooks Fire
Publication Type: News 05/02/2022
BAER Team Assessment of Crooks Fire Impacts
PRESCOTT, AZ – May 2, 2022 - A Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team is being established to begin a burned area assessment of the Crooks wildfire on the Bradshaw Ranger District. BAER assessments are rapid evaluations of the burned area to identify unacceptable risks on National Forest Service (NFS) lands from post-fire threats. The team’s focus is on the emergency actions necessary to protect life and safety, property and critical natural and cultural resources on NFS lands. The team is working in conjunction with the Yavapai County Flood Control District and shares burned area information from the assessment with other federal, state and local agencies with post-fire responsibilities on state and private lands both within and downstream of burned areas, including USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), National Weather Service (NWS), and US Geological Survey (USGS).
BAER teams consist of scientists and specialists including hydrologists, geologists, soil scientists, engineers, botanists, biologists, archaeologists, and geographic information specialists. The teams collect data during ground surveys and complete GIS and modeling to evaluate the post-fire risks. The first step in the BAER assessment process is taking satellite imagery and data collected during ground surveys to produce a soil burn severity map. The soil burn severity provides the baseline information to determine changed watershed conditions for assessing potential watershed impacts from wildfires, such as flooding and unstable soils. This information is then compiled to determine if post fire emergency conditions are present. The order of emergency response strategies includes natural recovery, administrative closure, then land treatments if unacceptable risks are identified.
Everyone near and downstream from the Crooks Fire burned area should remain alert and stay updated on weather conditions that may result in heavy rains over the area. Flash flooding could occur quickly during heavy rain events.
REMINDER: The Crooks Fire Area Closure is still in effect on the Prescott National Forest. Detailed information and maps are available on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8067/. For additional information related to the closure please call Crooks Fire Information at (928) 925-1111