Wildfire season in Arizona 2011
Web Producer: Marissa Pasquet
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Monday's information meeting for Sierra Vista residents regarding the Monument Fire will be at the Buena Performing Arts Center at 5225 Buena School Blvd. in Sierra Vista 6 pm.
Fire information bulletin boards will be set up at the Incident Command Center at Valley View Elementary, the food court at the Sierra Vista Mall, and the Jumping Jack convenience store on Highway 92 in Palominas.
It is expected to be one of the worst wildfire seasons in Arizona history. For all latest news and updates on the fires around the state stay right here with KGUN 9 NEWS. You can also check out inciweb.org and 593info.org for more information.
Monday June 20, 2011:
• Wallow Fire Information:
UPDATE at 10 a.m.: Strong winds broke the containment line set at US180 on the east side fire, which caused Luna, N.M. to be evacuated. High winds are preventing any aircraft from aiding in structure protection. The fire is active in the Raspberry Ridge and KP Creek areas.
*Luna, N.M. is being evacuated.
The fire has passed the half-million acre mark. The total burn area is now officially at 519,319 acres. The fire is now 44 percent contained.
The number of personnel on scene is 4,152, including 19 hotshot crews and 64 handcrews.
At 10 a.m. on Saturday, residents of Alpine were permitted to return home. Greer still remains evacuated.
Wind is expected to be an issue for firefighters this weekend, with wind gusts expected to hit as high as 50 mph. With summer storms still weeks away, fire crews can't expect any relief from the hot, dry weather any time soon.
Forest Service chief Tom Tidwell will be personally assessed the fires on Saturday.Wallow Fire Air Quality Conditions
The ADEQ monitor in Springerville is showing air quality as moderate. Unusually sensitive people should consider refraining from prolonged physical activity outdoors. The National Weather Service continues its Red Flag Warning for today from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. for strong winds and low relative humidity.
Southwest winds will increase through the morning at 20 – 30 mph with gusts of 40 – 50 mph. Relative humidity will range from 5–15 percent. This combination of strong winds and low relative humidity will create extreme fire behavior. Air quality will be an issue due to blowing dust and ash.
Continue to monitor the air quality by visiting phoenixvis.net and 593info.org or call the hotline 928-333-3412.
• Monument Fire Information:
UPDATE at 10 a.m.: The raging Monument fire has now consumed 26,956 acres in southern Arizona, it is 27 percent contained.
Fire crews are working in Miller Canyon, where there is the most fire activity. Crews were successful in halting the fire at portions along Highway 92 and were able to preserve some homes.
Crews responded to an unrelated fire near the aerostat north of Antelope Road. The fire was 95 percent contained after burning about 1,000 acres.
Fire destroyed 40 homes earlier this week. Fire jumped State Route 92 at Stump Canyon Thursday and moved into Hunter Canyon, no other homes reported burned.
Residents of Ash Canyon, Hunter Canyon, Stump Canyon and Turkey Track evacuated.
Fire information meeting at 6 p.m. Friday at Windemere Hotel in Sierra Vista.
State Route 92 closed between Ramsey Canyon Road and Palominas Road, MP327-340, because of fire. State Route 80 and State Route 90 recommended as alternatives.
Investigators have determined the fire was human-caused and began June 12 on the Coronado National Monument along the U.S.-Mexico border. U.S. Forest Service is leading the investigation team in cooperation with the National Park Service.
• Horseshoe Two Fire Information
UPDATE at 10 a.m.: Fire has burned 213,511 acres, now 70 percent contained.
Despite strong winds Saturday, crews held the line and kept the fire from spreading. Burnout operations between Devil's Canyon and Long John Canyon were completed late Friday night.
Firefighters will be reinforcing fire lines in preparation for the strong winds predicted for Sunday.
Since the fire started, helicopters have dropped over 1.3 million gallons of water, all brought to the scene by water tenders.
Twenty-three total structures have been destroyed and the cost of the fire is at $43,271,795.
• Laguna Wildfire Information:
UPDATE at 10 a.m.: Fire has burned 751 acres at this time.
An evacuation order has been issued for Luna, NM residents. Hwy 180 is closed to all traffic to the State line until further notice.
(Courtesy: The National Weather Service, KGUN9 Weather, Yuma Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, http://593info.org/, InciWeb Incident information.)
This site uses Facebook comments to make it easier for you to contribute. If you see a comment you would like to flag for spam or abuse, click the "x" in the upper right of it. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use.