Frye Mesa Fire
Location: 4 miles southwest of Safford, Graham Co., AZ
Specific Location: northeast of Deadman Canyon, east of Frye Creek and north of Trap Peak in the Pinaleno Mountains.
Date of Origin: 05/20/2008
Cause: human-caused, USFS prescribed fire that escaped containment
Situation as of 05/24/08 8:30 AM
Steady rains, most crews and engines demobilized. Mt. Graham closed to recreation use. Plan for today is monitoring.
Total Personnel: ???
Size: 3,100 acres
Percent Contained: 30%
***************
Situation as of 05/22/08
Total Personnel: 321
Size: 3,100 acres
Percent Contained: 30%
Reported costs to date: $134,000
From InciWeb: Evacuation of the Turkey Flat and Columbine residences were completed yesterday. However, due to the current fire situation, the Frye Mesa Road and Swift Trail (AZ Highway 366) are open again to the public. All closures have been lifted. Recreation use on Mt. Graham is open for Memorial Day weekend. Given the precipitation (0.82 inches recorded in the past 24 hours) and current weather prediction, it is highly likely the current incident management team strategy will succeed. The fire’s growth potential is low. Hand crews who were assigned to continue handline construction will be in camp today, and they will begin to be reassigned. Demobilization will begin today.
***************
Situation as of 05/22/08
Total Personnel: 250
Size: 2,500 acres
Percent Contained: 0%
Resources Assigned: 8 hotshot crews, one Arizona State Forestry Division Type 2 hand crew, 3 large airtankers, one single-engine air tanker, 2 light helicopters, 2 heavy helicopters.
Air resources grounded due to high winds. Extreme fire behavior was reported.
RED FLAG WARNING: Unseasonably strong low pressure system over the Great Basin and northern Arizona will result in yet another very windy day across all of southeast Arizona today (05/22/08). The combination of the strong winds, low humidities, and a very high to extreme fire danger rating has prompted the issuance of a red flag warning.
Winds west 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 40 mph in the evening decreasing to 10 to 20 mph overnight.
by Jeffrey L.
Jeffrey — more info, please. What should we know? I appreciate all input. Do not assume I know it all, already.
Same to the rest of you. W.I.S.E. Fire Track is not affiliated with the Government or the MSM (Mainstream Media). This is the place to tell your fire story.
Write it down, email to me. I will edit and remove any potentially libelous remarks, for both our benefits. And I do not reveal my sources, except by first name and initial, and sometimes not even that much.
Tell us your story and what you know.
From InciWeb (thank you Jeffrey):
The 100-acre Frye Mesa Prescribed Burn was ignited Tuesday morning, May 20, to reduce sweet resinbush, a noxious plant. The burning prescription called for hot, dry conditions. Plans called for completion of the burn by 1:00 p.m. Strong winds were experienced around noon on Tuesday. A spot fire was detected about 300 yards from the prescribed burn and upslope. Helicopters and hand crews aggressively attacked the spot fire, which quickly grew and spread uphill. At 1:15 p.m., the prescribed burn was declared a wildfire, additional personnel responded, including multiple air tankers. While there was initial success in suppressing the fire, it grew significantly with the strong and erratic winds that developed on Wednesday.
The Whitmire Fire is also an escaped prescribed fire!
Dry conditions, high winds, and 100 degree temperatures were in the the extended weather forecast for May 19-21, 2008. The forecast for May 22-23, 2008 included rain and 80 degree temperatures. The person who set this fire on May 20th (”Binky” is his nickname) and his supervisor should be charged with arson. The average citizen would be charged with arson for setting this fire. They defied weather conditions and now we will lose thousands of acres of recovering forests and millions in tax dollars. U.S. Attorney: please prosecute. Thank you.