Bear Trap Fire – May 2nd UPDATE

Magdalena Ranger District - San Mateo Mountains

New Fire Start on the Magdalena Ranger District
Bear Trap Fire – May 1st

San Mateo Mountains

FINAL UPDATE for WATER FIRE

Monday, May 2, 2022

10:00 a.m.

INCIDENT STATISTICS

THIS WILL BE THE FINAL UPDATE UNLESS THERE IS SOMETHING SIGNICANT TO REPORT

Location of Origin:  3 miles east of the Wilderness Ranger Station and 6 miles north of Mimbres, NM.

Start date:  April 28, 2022 – 2:30 p.m. MST

Current Size: 520 acres

Percent Contained:  60%

Cause:  Under Investigation

Resources Assigned: 6 Engines, 3 Helicopters, and 2 Crews. A total of 73 personnel are assigned. Air Tankers are strategically staged at Air Tanker bases throughout the country during peak wildfire season. They are currently supporting numerous active wildfires in the NM/AZ region.    

Closures:  None

Safety:  Please use extreme caution when recreating in the forest. The smallest spark can start a wildfire. Drown campfires with water and stir coals until they are dead out and heat is no longer present. With very low humidity and gusty winds, a new wildfire can grow very quickly.

Cooperators:  Mimbres Volunteer Fire Department

TODAY: Crews have been working hard to secure the heel and head of the fire with good success. The west side is secured by a two-track road and so far, that line is holding. The east side is steep and rocky and vegetation is very sparse. The fire is demonstrating minimal fire behavior and is mostly smoldering.

WEATHER:  Critical fire weather conditions are forecast for Monday and Tuesday. Relative humidity remains very low during the day, but nighttime recovery continues to help moderate fire behavior.

SUMMARY:  The Water Fire started on April 28 at 2:30 p.m.  It is located 6 miles north of Mimbres, NM, on the Gila National Forest. Initial response by Air Tankers helped slow the fire’s spread significantly. The fire is now 60% contained. Ground forces, including engines and hand crews will continue their efforts to increase the percent of containment.

The Gila National Forest is planning to implement Stage 1 Fire Restrictions later this week.

Twitter: @GilaNForest / Facebook: @GilaNForest

Media Contact:  Andrew Mitchell – GNF PAO 626-759-6876

Email:  andrew.mitchell@usda.gov

Water Fire Update - May 1, 2022 - 11:00 am
 
Location of Origin:  3 miles east of the Wilderness Ranger Station and 6 miles north of Mimbres, NM.
Start date:  April 28, 2022 – 2:30 p.m. MST
Current Size: 765 acresPercent Contained: 30%
Cause:  Under Investigation
Resources Assigned: 6 Engines, 3 Helicopters, 2 Crews and 1 Task Force. A total of 113 personnel are assigned. Air Tankers are strategically staged at Air Tanker bases throughout the country during peak wildfire season. They are currently supporting numerous active wildfires in the NM/AZ region.
Closures:  None
Safety:  Please use extreme caution when recreating in the forest. The smallest spark can start a wildfire. Drown campfires with water and stir coals until they are dead out and heat is no longer present. With very low humidity and gusty winds, a new wildfire can grow very quickly.
Cooperators:  Mimbres Volunteer Fire Department
 
TODAY:  Firefighters will advance their efforts on fireline construction by extending and/or reinforcing the existing firelines. Accessibility is challenging due to limited road access, however one existing two-track road is being utilized as a containment line along the western edge of the fire. The east side of the fire is in very steep, rocky terrain with spotty vegetation that has been burned.  These existing features are also contributing to the increased containment of the fire.

WEATHER:  An upper-level storm system is expected to bring strong, gusty winds to the area. Critical fire weather conditions are forecast for Sunday through Tuesday. Relative humidity remains very low during the day, but some nighttime recovery is helping to moderate fire behavior.

SUMMARY:  The Water Fire started on April 28 at 2:30 p.m.  It is located 6 miles north of Mimbres, NM, on the Gila National Forest. Initial response by Air Tankers helped slow the fire’s spread significantly. Due to the success of the combined aerial and ground forces, 30% containment was achieved by Saturday, April30th. Ground forces, including engines and hand crews are focusing their efforts on constructing and reinforcing firelines.
 
The Gila National Forest is planning to implement Stage 1 Fire Restrictions later this week.  

WATER FIRE UPDATE 
Saturday, April 30, 2022, 11:30 a.m.

INCIDENT STATISTICS

Location of Origin:  3 miles east of the Wilderness Ranger Station and 6 miles north of Mimbres, NM.
Start date:  April 28, 2022 – 2:30 p.m. MST
Current Size: 765 acres
Percent Contained: 30%
Cause:  Under Investigation
Resources Assigned: 6 Engines (17 personnel), 2 Helicopters, 2 Crews and 1 Task Force of firefighters. A total of 105 personnel are currently assigned. Air Tankers will be available to support the firefighting effort, as needed.  Air Tankers are supporting several wildfires in the area. They manage their response carefully by prioritizing needs and being highly mobile.
Closures:  None
Safety:  Please use extreme caution when using a source of spark or fire. With very low humidity and gusty winds, a new wildfire can grow very quickly. 
Cooperators:  Mimbres Volunteer Fire Department
 
TODAY
Firefighters will continue working on constructing firelines, where it is safe to do so. Accessibility is challenging due to limited road access. In general, the terrain is very steep and rocky along the canyon.
 
WEATHER
Low end gusty winds are expected today. Relative Humidity in the area remains very low and any predicted high winds will likely be strong enough to reach Red Flag criteria.
 
SUMMARY
The Water Fire started on April 28 at 2:30 p.m.  It is located 6 miles north of Mimbres, NM, on the Gila National Forest. Initial response by Air Tankers helped slow the fire’s spread significantly. Favorable weather conditions also played a factor in the success of the aerial operations. By this morning, Saturday (April 30th), 30% percent of the fire had been contained. Ground forces, including engines and hand crews are focusing and continuing their efforts on constructing fireline in areas that they can successfully do so.  

 The acreage for Soil Burn Severity SBS) categories in the May 3rd release are incorrect. The following are the corrected acres and percent of the fire by SBS class. Approximately 4,775 acres (25%) are unburned, approximately 12,800 (67%) have low SBS, approximately 1,474 acres (8%) sustained a moderate SBS and approximately 11 acres (less than 1%) were identified as having high SBS. The published map has not changed and is correct.

 Order Number: 03-04-22-08

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
FOREST SERVICE
COCONINO NATIONAL FOREST
FLAGSTAFF RANGER DISTRICT
TEMPORARY AREA AND ROAD CLOSURE FOR THE TUNNEL FIRE

PROHIBITIONSPursuant to 16 U.S.C. § 551 and 36 C.F.R. § 261.50(a) and (b), the following acts are prohibited on the roads and trails and within the area described in this Order (the “Restricted Area”) and as depicted in the attached map, hereby incorporated into this Order as Exhibit A, within the Coconino National Forest, Flagstaff Ranger District, Coconino County, Arizona.1. Going into or being upon the Restricted Area. 36 C.F.R. § 261.52(e).2. Being on the road. 36 C.F.R. § 261.54(e).3. Being on the trail. 36 C.F.R. § 261.55(a).

EXEMPTIONSPursuant to 36 C.F.R. §261.50(e), the following persons are exempt from the provisions in this Order:1. Persons with a written Forest Service authorization specifically exempting them from the effect of this Order.2. Any Federal, State, or local officer, member of an organized rescue or firefighting force, in the performance of official duty.3. Residents using roads in the Restricted Area to the extent necessary to access their private property.4. Persons in performance of official duties related to critical maintenance of utility infrastructure.

RESTRICTED AREAAs depicted in Exhibit A, all National Forest System lands, roads, and trails within the boundary starting on the Coconino National Forest at the junction of Highway 89 and National Forest System Road (FR) 556, then continuing west to the junction with FR 420, then continuing west along FR 420 to National Forest System Trail (NFSTR) #146 (the Waterline Trail), then continuing north on NFSTR #146 to the junction with NFSTR #29 (Inner Basin Trail), then continuing northeast along NFSTR #29 to the junction with FR 552, then following FR 552 northeast to the junction with FR 418, then following north along FR 418 to the junction with FR 419, then following FR 419 north to the junction with FR 773, then following FR 773 northeast to the junction with FR 514, then following east along FR 514 to the junction with Highway 89, then following north to the junction with FR 150, then following northeast along FR 150 to the junction with FR 782, then following FR 782 east to the Coconino National Forest boundary at 35.467675, -111.384082, Township 24N, Range 13E, Section 13, then continuing south along the forest boundary to where it meets FR 244A, then progressing northwest along FR 244A to the junction with FR 244B, then following FR 244B southwest to the intersection with FR 244, then following FR 244 southeast to the intersection with FR 9122P, then following FR 9122Pnorthwest to the junction of FR 498, then following north along FR 498 to the intersection with FR 9123Q, then following northwest along FR 9123Q to the junction with FR 9125G, then following FR 9125G to the intersection with FR 776, then following FR 776 west to the intersection with Highway 89, then following Highway 89 south, back to the point of beginning, at the intersection of Highway 89 and FR 556. All National Forest System Roads and Trails comprising the Restricted Area boundary are closed.

PURPOSEThe purpose of this Order is to protect the public’s health and safety from unsafe conditions resulting from the Tunnel Fire.

IMPLEMENTATION
1. This Order will be effective on April 20, 2022, at 9:00 PM, and shall remain in effect until June 20, 2022, or until rescinded, whichever comes first.
2. A map identifying the Restricted Area is attached and made part of this Order as Exhibit A. For a digital version of the Order map for the Coconino NF, go to https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/coconino/alerts-notices.
3. Any violation of the prohibitions in this Order is punishable as a Class B misdemeanor by a fine of not more than $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, or by imprisonment for not more than six (6) months, or both (see 16 U.S.C. § 551, 18 U.S.C. § 3571(b)(6), 18 U.S.C. § 3581(b)(7)).
4. Further information regarding this Order may be obtained at the Coconino National Forest Supervisor’s Office in Flagstaff, Arizona, telephone number (928) 527-3600 and the Flagstaff Ranger District located in Flagstaff, Arizona, telephone number (928) 526-0866.
5. This Order supersedes any previous Orders prohibiting the same acts covered by this Order.

Done this 20th day of April, 2022.

Laura Jo WestForest SupervisorCoconino National Forest
 Closure Order

 

 More information explaining what low, moderate, and high soil burn severity looks like and an explanation of what is hydrophobicity can be found in two .pdf documents by clicking on the maps section of this InciWeb page.

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz., May 3, 2022 – Forest Service Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) specialists recently 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 (

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. Vegetation mortality 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

Burned Area Emergency Response Team assessing Tunnel Fire damage