Today, firefighters built handline on the southern, western and northern portions of the Virgin Mountain Fire. On the eastern portion of the fire, SEATs and Very Large Air Tankers capable of delivering up to 8,000 gallons of retardant continued to place retardant along the ridge as fire bosses and super scoopers dropped water to minimize fire activity as it meet the retardant line.

The 1,576-acre fire is located 15 miles south of Mesquite in the Virgin Mountain Instant Study Area within the Gold Butte National Monument and is currently 10 percent contained. 

Currently no structures are threatened and no evacuations are in effect. 

“Smoke continues to be visible from Mesquite and along Interstate 15,” said Tyler Hecht, BLM Southern Nevada Acting Fire Management Officer. “Visitors to Lake Mead National Recreation Area may see super scooper and fire boss aircraft south of Echo Bay. As a reminder, no drones are allowed in active fire areas and drones are never allowed within Lake Mead National Recreation Area.”

To ensure public and firefighter safety, please avoid the Cabin Canyon Road off of State Route 242 - also known as the Lime Kiln Road - due to heavy fire traffic. 

Today, fire behavior in the short grass and mountain brush was active, with flanking, backing and creeping.

The Virgin Mountain Fire’s potentially threatened resources include bighorn sheep habitat, mule deer habitat, Virgin Mountain Instant Study Area, Virgin repeater site and desert tortoise habitat at lower elevations. 

Currently there about 135 firefighters assigned to the Virgin Mountain Fire. Suppression resources include handcrews, wildland fire engines, air attack platform, helicopters, Single Engine Air Tankers, Very Large Air Tankers, super scooper aircraft and fire boss aircraft.

The lightning-caused fire was reported September 21 at 6:27 p.m. 

For more information, please visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7213/. 

The next update is expected September 25 in the morning. 

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The Virgin Mountain Fire was mapped last night at 1,564 acres, mostly located in the BLM Las Vegas Field Office. The east side of the fire crossed over into the BLM Arizona Strip District by five acres.

The fire is zero percent contained and is located 15 miles south of Mesquite in the Virgin Mountain Instant Study Area within the Gold Butte National Monument.

Currently no structures are threatened and no evacuations are in effect.

Yesterday, aerial resources included super scooper and fire boss aircraft that dipped out of Lake Mead just south of Echo Bay as well as Single Engine Air Tankers dropping fire retardant. Firefighters also worked on the ground to suppress the Virgin Mountain Fire. 

Today firefighters will build handline on the southern, western and northern portions of the fire. On the eastern portion of the fire, SEATs will finish retardant line on the ridge and fire bosses and super scoopers will drop water to minimize fire activity as it meets the retardant line.

To ensure public and firefighter safety, please avoid the Cabin Canyon Road off of State Route 242 - also known as the Lime Kiln Road - due to heavy fire traffic.

Currently there about 135 firefighters assigned to the Virgin Mountain Fire. Suppression resources include handcrews, wildland fire engines, air attack platform, Single Engine Air Tankers, super scooper aircraft and fire boss aircraft. Additional resources are on order.

The lightning-caused fire was reported September 21at 6:27 p.m.

For more information, please visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7213/.

The next update is expected this evening.

 

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Today super scooper and fire boss aircraft that dipped out of Lake Mead just south of Echo Bay joined Single Engine Air Tankers dropping fire retardant and firefighters on the ground to suppress theVirgin Mountain Fire. 

The fire is located 15 miles south of Mesquite in the Virgin Mountain Instant Study Area within the Gold Butte National Monument. 

Currently no structures are threatened and no evacuations are in effect. 

Today firefighters reinforced line on the Virgin Ridge on the north and west portions of the fire. The 1,600-acre fire is slated to be mapped tonight using infrared technology and is currently zero percent contained. 

“The Virgin Mountain Fire is in steep, rocky terrain and firefighters are dedicated to slowing the wind and terrain driven runs and increasing containment,” said Tyler Hecht, BLM Southern Nevada Acting Fire Management Officer. “Firefighter and public safety is a top priority. If you are in Mesquite and along Interstate 15, smoke is visible so please drive carefully.” 

To ensure public and firefighter safety, please avoid the Cabin Canyon Road off of State Route 242 - also known as the Lime Kiln Road - due to heavy fire traffic. 

Today, fire behavior in the short grass and mountain brush was extreme with wind driven runs, short-range spotting and backing.  

The Virgin Mountain Fire’s potentially threatened resources include bighorn sheep habitat, mule deer habitat, Virgin Mountain Instant Study Area, Virgin repeater site and desert tortoise habitat at lower elevations. 

Currently there about 135 firefighters assigned to the Virgin Mountain Fire. Suppression resources include handcrews, wildland fire engines, air attack platform, Single Engine Air Tankers, super scooper aircraft and fire boss aircraft.

The lightning-caused fire was reported September 21 at 6:27 p.m. 

For more information, please visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7213/. 

The next update is expected September 24 in the morning. 

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Las Vegas – Overnight, the Virgin Mountain Fire was GPSed at 1,232 acres and is zero percent contained.

The fire is located 15 miles south of Mesquite in the Virgin Mountain Instant Study Area within the Gold Butte National Monument.

Currently no structures are threatened and no evacuations are in effect.

To ensure public and firefighter safety, please avoid the Cabin Canyon Road off of State Route 242 - also known as the Lime Kiln Road - due to heavy fire traffic.

Yesterday, aerial resources aided firefighters on the ground by making water and retardant drops on the southern portion of the fire. Fire behavior in the short grass and chaparral was extreme with wind driven runs, short-range spotting and backing.

Today firefighters will reinforce line on the Virgin Ridge on the north and west portions of the fire. Weather is expected to remain hot, dry and windy.

The Virgin Mountain Fire’s potentially threatened resources include bighorn sheep habitat, mule deer habitat, Virgin Mountain Instant Study Area, Virgin repeater site at higher elevations and desert tortoise habitat at lower elevations.

Currently there about 100 firefighters assigned to the Virgin Mountain Fire. Suppression resources include handcrews, wildland fire engines, air attack platform, Single Engine Air Tankers and heavy air tankers.

The lightning-caused fire was reported September 21at 6:27 p.m.

For more information, please visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7213/.

The next update is expected this evening.

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Wildland Fire News    

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Kirsten Cannon 702-595-2034, k1cannon@blm.gov

September 22, 2020, 6 p.m.

 

Suppression Efforts Continue on the Virgin Mountain Fire

 

Las Vegas – Suppression efforts continue on the estimated 3,000-acre Virgin Mountain Fire that is located approximately 10 miles south of Mesquite.

The lightning-caused fire is in the Virgin Mountain Instant Study Area within the Gold Butte National Monument. It was reported yesterday at 6:27 p.m.

Bighorn sheep habitat and communications sites are located in the area.

There is currently no estimated percentage of containment. Today, firefighters focused their efforts on both aerial and ground suppression.

No structures are currently threatened and no road closures nor evacuations are currently in effect.

Currently there about 30 firefighters assigned to the Virgin Mountain Fire and additional resources are on order. Suppression resources include an air attack platform, Single Engine Air Tankers, helicopter, and wildland fire engines.

“Smoke has been visible from this fire from Mesquite and Interstate 15 intermittently throughout the day,” said Tyler Hecht, BLM Southern Nevada Acting Fire Management Officer. “If you are traveling in the area, please be cautious of the fire traffic. Please avoid Lime Kiln Canyon (SR 242) as fire traffic will be especially heavy along that route.”

For more information, please visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7213/.

The next update is expected September 23 in the morning.

 

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Wildland Fire News    

_______________________________________________________________________

 

Kirsten Cannon 702-595-2034, k1cannon@blm.gov

September 22, 2020, 4 p.m.

 

Virgin Mountain Fire Estimated at 3,000 acres

 

Las Vegas – The lightning-caused Virgin Mountain Fire is located approximately 10 miles south of Mesquite and is located solely on Bureau of Land Management managed public land. It was reported yesterday at 6:27 p.m.

Fire behavior is currently active and running in higher elevations and is terrain and fuels driven. No structures are currently threatened and no road closures nor evacuations are currently in effect.

Suppression resources include an air attack platform, Single Engine Air Tankers, 1 Type 3 helicopter, 2 BLM engines, 1 National Park Service engine and 1 U.S. Forest Service squad.

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Major portions of Williams Fork Fire Area closure reopen

GRANBY, Colo (June 30, 2021) – A large area of the Arapaho National Forest is reopening this week following last year’s devastating wildfires. Mitigation efforts have been completed along many roads and trails, allowing portions of the Williams Fork Fire burned area to reopen. 

While many mitigation efforts have been completed along the roads and trails that are reopening, the public is warned that standing dead and burned trees are very unstable and can fall without warning at any time. Visitors are at greater risk when traveling at high speeds, particularly in open-sided vehicles and when camping in burned forested areas. Burned areas also contain many unseen hazards, such as burned stump holes which present a danger to those walking off trail. 

Areas that remain closed may be prone to flooding, landslides, and rock and tree fall. Many of the roads and trails that remain closed were identified for further mitigation and stabilization prior to reopening. In addition, many of the closed motorized routes have severely damaged infrastructure such as bridges.

Dispersed camping will be allowed within 300 feet of most open roads, however there are some open roads that will be closed to dispersed camping due to the risk of flooding, landslides, and debris flow. Current fire restrictions prevent making or igniting campfires and warming fires. 

The East Troublesome Fire closure remains unchanged; however, we are working closely with our partners to continue mitigation and stabilization efforts that will allow us to re-open a considerable section of that closure area shortly. Forest employees, volunteers, and contractors will continue working toward opening more areas throughout the summer so be prepared for delays or temporary closures while this work occurs.

Closure order Closure Map

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (Dec. 17, 2020) – In the aftermath of five wildfires, multiple teams of natural resource specialists have completed their initial assessments of burned areas on the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests. Cameron Peak, Williams Fork, East Troublesome, Cal-Wood and Lefthand fires collectively burned more than 323,000 acres of National Forest lands in 2020.

These rapid assessments, part of the “Burned Area Emergency Response” or BAER program, represent a small part of the greater, collaborative, post-wildfire recovery efforts currently underway with a coalition of local, state and federal agencies, scientists and natural resource managers. BAER is an initial step that focuses solely on National Forest lands and values at risk in the immediate aftermath.

“There’s a great deal of interest in the BAER effort initially because it’s our first real look at what took place out there during the fire,” said Forest Supervisor Monte Williams. “But, BAER is only one piece of the puzzle. Now that we have that piece in place, we’re focused on working closely with our partners to support the priorities we collectively identify, from protecting water resources and securing infrastructure to rehabilitating and rebuilding our recreation areas.”

BAER funding is limited in its scope. For instance, it doesn’t pay to rebuild burned outhouses in campgrounds; but it does provide funding to temporarily cap burned pit toilets for public safety reasons.

Extensive research since the Hayman and High Park fires has provided land managers with a deeper understanding of what immediate post-fire treatments are most effective at reducing post-wildfire impacts to watersheds. For example, pulling undersized culverts and digging water bars on trails has been found to be more effective at reducing sedimentation, runoff and flooding than scattering mulch, seed and haybales across the landscape. While these have been popular post-fire treatments in the past, they have been found to have limited benefit. These treatments risk introducing noxious weeds to the environment and add to the debris washing into streams.

“We have to consider where we get the most bang for the buck,” Williams said. “In the longer term, my hope is that these collaborative groups will work together beyond post-fire recovery to help prepare our landscapes to be more resilient to future wildfires.”

One of the most valuable tools BAER assessments produce is soil burn severity maps, which cover entire fire perimeters and serve as a cross-jurisdictional reference tool. These maps will provide valuable data as recovery teams model potential affects and make decisions about where to focus efforts and funding.

Given these fires’ extended duration into the late season, team’s assessment efforts were hampered by snow and hazardous conditions. As a result, teams will need to return to certain areas in the spring for further assessment. In addition, hundreds of miles of roads and trails across both the Cameron Peak and East Troublesome fires remain to be surveyed and stabilized.

Executive summaries of the BAER findings, along with the soil burn severity maps and some example photos of the burned areas are now available for the public. See below. 

GRANBY, Colo., Sept. 23, 2020 – A Burn Area Emergency Response (BAER) team was established this week by the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland to begin a burned area assessment of the Williams Fork Fire. As information is available, it will be posted on the Williams Fork Fire Post-fire BAER InciWeb page.

BAER surveys are rapid assessments that evaluate the burned area to identify watersheds having increased potential for post-fire flooding, erosion, debris flows and rockslides. Since the BAER survey is a rapid assessment to assist land managers to prepare the burned area for future rain events, the team will initially focus on potential emergency impacts to life and safety on National Forest System lands and also share the team’s findings with partner agencies.

BAER teams consist of scientists and specialists, including hydrologists, soil scientists, engineers, botanists, biologists, archeologists and more. These teams collect data during their burned area surveys and present their findings and recommended emergency stabilization treatments or actions in a BAER assessment report. For additional information on what BAER is, check the announcement section of our InciWeb page.

BAER teams utilize satellite imagery which is then field validated and adjusted where needed by soil specialists to produce a map that shows the levels of soil burn severity on the watersheds. Changes in soil properties are the primary cause of increased post-fire erosion, flooding and debris flow potential. This is the first step in assessing potential watershed impacts from the wildfire to any National Forest values that may be at risk from potential increased flooding, sedimentation, debris flows and rockslides. BAER emergency response efforts are focused on the protection of human life, safety and property, as well as critical cultural and natural resources such as the water quality of streams on National Forest System lands.

BAER reports are shared with interagency cooperators who work to identify and prepare for potential post-fire flooding and debris flow impacts. This is just one step of recovery. The Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland is working with many cooperators in the area to look at longer-term recovery needs following the fire.

SAFETY MESSAGE: Everyone near and downstream from the burned area should remain alert and stay updated on weather conditions that may result in heavy rains over burn scars.

Williams Fork Fire Closure notice.