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| Hunting Articles Does The 2006 Warm Fire = Hot Hunting? You Decide!
I've compiled some facts, information and pictures for hunters about the 2006 Warm Fire that burnt 58,280 acres of the North Rim and the Kaibab Plateau - right smack dab in the middle of Arizona unit 12A. Rather than present you with an opinion detailing why the mule deer hunting may be good, bad or indifferent in 2008 and the years to come in the burn area I decided to just present the stats, facts and maps and let each hunter make his/her own conclusions. Items of interest to mule deer hunters have been highlighted for a quick read.
Warm Fire Cliff's Notes * The Warm Fire was discovered June 8, 2006 on the North Kaibab Ranger District. Initially, the fire was managed as a wildland fire use fire (WFU). A WFU is a fire that is managed for resource benefit. All wildland fire use fires must be started by a natural ignition source, i.e. lightning. * The Warm Fire was managed as fire use for 21/2 weeks and grew to 19,558 acres. * On June 25, 2006 management action shifted from a wildland fire use strategy to a full suppression wildland fire strategy. * Under suppression management, the Warm Fire burned 39,010 acres. * The total size of the Warm Fire was 58,568 acres. This figure includes both fire use and suppression acres. * No structures were lost during the Warm Fire. * Due to impacts related to the Warm Fire, the Grand Canyon National Park's North Rim and Arizona State Highway 67 were closed to public access from June 26 until July 3, 2006. * The Warm Fire was contained on July 4, 2006. * A Burned Area Emergency Response team identified 17,280 acres - about 30% of the total fire area - as having high burn severity as it applies to soil and watershed conditions. * Stabilization treatment on 11,750 acres in the high burn severity areas was implemented the week of July 24, 2006. The treatment included aerially seeding with sterile annual rye grass by fixed-wing aircraft. This treatment is expected to result in rapid growth of ground cover that will reduce the risk of flooding, soil erosion and invasion of noxious weeds. * Actions are being taken to lessen the risk to road drainage structures from flooding and erosion. To provide for public safety, hazard warning signs were installed along roads and trails that cross drainages at risk of flash flooding.
The Warm Fire on the North Kaibab District on the Kaibab National Forest initially was managed as a wildland fire use event, a lightning ignited fire managed to accomplish resource benefits. The management strategy was shifted from wildland fire use (WFU) to wildland fire suppression when winds greatly increased in strength and changed direction resulting in large fire growth outside the defined area for the WFU. Before a fire is put into wildland fire use status, land managers evaluate several criteria. For example, if a fire threatens life, property or resources, it is not considered appropriate for wildland fire use and is immediately suppressed. Once a fire is put into wildland fire use status, it is actively managed, meaning that fire managers establish boundaries and define weather and fuels conditions under which the fire will be allowed to burn. All wildland fire use fires must be naturally-ignited (lightning). Some of the resource objectives of wildland fire use fires include:
* Enhancing habitat for wildlife * Reducing accumulations of woody material on the forest floor * Increasing the amount of perennial grasses, forbs and browse plants for the benefit of wildlife and livestock * Maintaining grassland ecosystems by controlling the encroachment of trees * Reducing the potential for high-intensity fires * Protecting threatened and endangered animal and plant habitat from the negative effects of high-intensity fires * Creating conditions such as more open stands and reduced fuels * Allowing fires to actively function as an ecological process across the landscape The Fire was managed as WFU event for about 21/2 weeks; fire activity was light to moderate with short periods of high intensity burning. About 19,600 acres were treated during the fire use phase; about 39,000 acres burned as a wildland fire. Suppression tactics were used extensively when the fire was in wildland fire use status, to prevent it from threatening structures at Jacob Lake and crossing Highway 89A. On June 25, 2006 strong winds drove the fire beyond the Maximum Manageable Area into steep canyons containing stands of dense mixed conifer trees. These conditions caused a marked increase in fire activity through the afternoon of the following day. On June 25, 2006 at 6 p.m. the Warm Fire was put into wildland fire status and was thereafter managed as a suppression fire. It grew to 59,568 acres before it was declared fully contained on July 4, 2006. The Warm Fire generated significant controversy in the communities of Fredonia, AZ and Kanab, UT. A number of individuals have expressed their concern over the decision to manage the Warm Fire to accomplish resource benefits. A Kaibab Coalition group has formed to circulate a petition throughout northern AZ and southern UT to halt further WFU in the summer months. The Warm Wildland Fire Use resulted in a range of fire intensities and effects. The Warm Fire burned at much higher intensities within the suppression area replacing about two-thirds of the mixed conifer forest and about half of the ponderosa pine forest. This high intensity fire activity resulted in significant fire effects to natural and cultural resources across two thirds of the suppression area. Fire Intensity The majority of the acres of the Warm Fire burned at a low level of intensity. Of the 58,630 acres that burned, about 38,360 acres (65 percent) burned at a low intensity level. The rest (35 percent) burned at either a moderate or high intensity level. Some of the areas of highest intensity burning occurred along Highway 67 because of slope and other terrain factors. When fires burn at such varying intensity levels, fire managers refer to the resulting pattern on the landscape as a mosaic. To fire managers, all of these effects have their place as part of fires natural ecological role. Fire is an integral part of the forests of the Southwest.
Location: North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest. The northernmost extent of the fire perimeter is about 2 miles south and east of Jacob Lake; the southernmost extent is about 14 miles north of the Grand Canyon National Park boundary. No structures were destroyed or damaged by the Warm Fire. Cause: Lightning Size: 58,630 acres What you'll see: As you drive on Arizona State Highway 67 to the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, remember that you are driving through an area that recently burned. First and foremost, you should be watching for safety hazards, such as dead trees that might have fallen near or into the road or firefighting vehicles and equipment that might still be in the area. You should also be watching for wildlife. Wildlife, such as deer, often move quickly back into burned areas. As long as you are driving cautiously and watching for such hazards, you should also take the time to notice the effects of the Warm Fire. As you drive south on Highway 67 toward Grand Canyon National Park, you will first enter an area that burned at a low intensity level. You will probably notice that the ground is black and the trees have some black showing near their bases. The crowns of the trees are generally green. In this area, most of the medium and larger sized trees will survive. Some of the smaller diameter trees may die. As you continue south, you will enter areas that burned at a moderate intensity level. In these areas, the scorch on the trees reaches higher. You may notice that lower branches and needles have burned. The crowns of some trees are green while others are black. In this area of moderate-intensity burning, most of the small and some of the larger trees may die. However, many of the larger diameter trees will survive. Finally, you will move into an area that burned at a high intensity. You will know when you have entered this area. Almost all of the trees are black and have already lost their needles. These trees will not survive. BAER - Burned Area Emergency Response A Burned Area Emergency Response team identified roughly 17,300 acres, about 30% of the total fire area, as having high burn severity as it relates to soil and watershed conditions. Of those acres, 11,750 acres required immediate stabilization treatments. During the week of July 24, 2006 the 11,750 acres were aerially seeded with sterile annual rye grass seed by fixed-wing aircraft. We expect these treatments to result in rapid growth of ground cover that will reduce the risk of flooding, soil erosion and invasion of noxious weeds. Steps were also taken to lessen the risk to road drainage structures from flooding and erosion. To provide for public safety, we are installing hazard warning signs along roads and trails that cross drainages at risk of flash flooding. Post Fire Assessment With stabilization measures completed, we have turned our attention to post fire recovery of the wildfire area. A team of resource specialists was convened to evaluate resource conditions in the wildfire area and identify opportunities for recovery work. A Post Fire Assessment Report should be completed and available by mid October. We will soon begin collaboration efforts with interested public and key stakeholders to discuss results from the post fire assessment and identify possible recovery management activities. We also expect to complete an After Action Review and apply the lessons learned to future management of WFU events on the Kaibab NF. So there it is hunters! Maybe it's worth hunting maybe not - that's for you to decide. Whatever you choose to do, sends some pics and a story so to share with everyone here at KeyToTheKaibab.com! SHARE YOUR COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE Hunting Articles [back to top] |
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Friday 30 July, 2010 |