Arizona 2003

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Wildfire in eastern Arizona doubles in size to nearly 2,000 acres
ALPINE, Ariz. (AP) - A wildfire in a national forest in eastern
Arizona has burned 1,900 acres in steep and rocky terrain that has
made the blaze difficult to contain.
The fire in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest about 15 miles
south of Alpine wasn't threatening any structures, and no injuries
were reported. No estimate was available on when crews would
contain the fire.
"It could be a matter of weeks rather than days, because of the
ruggedness of the terrain," said Gail Aschenbrenner, a fire
information officer.
Fourteen fire crews and several helicopters battled the blaze.
Firefighters also were trying to protect threatened and
endangered species in the area, such as Mexican gray wolves and
Mexican spotted owls.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Fire being monitored

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - A wildfire burned about 200 acres of
rough, isolated terrain in the Coconino National Forest, officials
said Sunday.
No homes or structures were threatened by the Mormon fire,
located about 16 miles east of Flagstaff and 7 miles south of
Interstate 40. No injuries were reported.
There was no estimate for containment.
Officials pulled the last crew off the fire Saturday yet
continue to monitor its progress.
The blaze is headed into an area without heavy fire fuels.
"It's in heavy fuels now, but every day that goes by, it gets
farther away from its fuel source," said Ken Frederick, fire
information officer.
The fire is expected to grow in size. "But it isn't threatening
any resources of value," Frederick said.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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RX Burn-48,000 acres

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - Coronado National Forest officials planned
to kick off a 48,000-acre prescribed fire Tuesday in far
southeastern Arizona, one of the state's largest purposely set
burns in years.
The aim is to improve wildlife habitat and rangelands by
reducing an invasion of mesquite and other woody species in
grassland areas.
"This is a reintroduction of fire into a fire-dependent
ecosystem," said Doug Hardy, ranger of the national forest's
Douglas district.
About 100 firefighters strung out along perimeter roads were to
use hand torches to begin establishing exterior control lines,
before Wednesday's ignition of fire from a helicopter to backburn
inside the perimeter, Hardy said.
"The reintroduction of fire kind of mimics a lightning start
before one of the monsoonal events that would run until the rain
puts it out," he said.
"It's certainly the largest prescribed burn we, the Coronado,
have done" in memory, said Randall Smith, the forest's natural
resources program leader.
"We're doing a prescribed burn for ecosystem values. The fire
is a very, very important process for maintaining the forest and
the health of the land," Smith said. "So this is part of our
overall program to restore that forest health."
Attention has been focused in recent years on the destructive
force of fire because of drought conditions in the Southwest, "but
really, fires are an extremely positive effect on the landscape,"
Smith said.
The area targeted for the burn near the Peloncillo Mountains
east of Douglas and close to New Mexico's so-called boot heel,
includes a patchwork of private and public lands owned by several
state and federal agencies, much of it dotted with mesquite,
manzanita and juniper.
About 15,000 acres in the burn region are on the Coronado
National Forest.
Other organizations cooperating in the project include the
Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arizona
State Land Department, the New Mexico Department of Forestry, the
Malpai Borderlands Group, Animas Foundation and several Mexican
agencies.
The burn, starting on the northeastern edge of the target area
from a previously blackened site, could take four to eight days,
depending on the rate of fire spread, wind speed and weather
conditions.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - A wildfire burning in isolated terrain
near the eastern boundary of the Coconino National Forest grew to
550 acres by Tuesday, officials said.
Forest Service spokesman Ken Frederick said a strong
southwestern wind was fanning the flames.
"I'm certain we're going to upgrade our acreage tomorrow, based
on how it's burning today," he said Tuesday.
Fire crews were withdrawn Tuesday because the fire was moving
from treetop to treetop, Frederick said.
"It jumps from clumps of trees to clumps of trees on the
eastern rim of Padre Canyon," Frederick said.
He said the fire has been moving to the northeast toward open
space where it will have less fuel.
The two-mile long fire wasn't threatening homes or structures.
Frederick said there was no estimated date on containment or the
final size of the fire.
Officials plan to keep watching the blaze and won't consider
putting any crews on it unless it moves west toward a power line or
surpasses 1,000 acres in size, Frederick said.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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ALPINE, Ariz. (AP) - Burnout operations used in containment
efforts enabled a lightning-caused wildfire in eastern Arizona to
grow from 2,000 to nearly 3,800 acres and have closed a portion of
Arizona 191.
Some 500 firefighters, including 11 hotshot crews, are battling
the Thomas fire, burning in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest
about 15 miles southwest of Alpine. The blaze started Friday.
About six miles of the highway, north of Hannagan Meadow to
Beaverhead, will be closed for the next few days because of dense
smoke and fire equipment on the road, Forest Service spokeswoman
Gail Aschenbrenner said.
There is no detour through the forest from there, which means
people traveling from Morenci to Alpine will be unable to drive
north of Hannagan Meadow, she said.
The fire growth was attributed primarily to burnout operations
Tuesday on the northern perimeter, with more burning Wednesday
along 191 on the fire's northeastern edge, Aschenbrenner said.
The burnout is occurring primarily in mixed conifers, including
subalpine fir trees, which are laden with pitch and combustibles
that put out a great deal of smoke and embers when torched off, she
said.
There is no imminent threat to any structures but protection has
been set up for homes in the Red Hill and Blue River Valley areas,
she said.
Officials were still calling the fire only 5 percent contained,
but they hope to make significant progress in building a fire line
around the perimeter.
Two hotshot crews also were working Wednesday on preparing
several miles along the south flank of the fire for burning a
perimeter line Thursday.
Aschenbrenner said there had been four injuries to firefighters,
with the most serious being a broken leg.
MORMON FIRE:
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - A wildfire burning in isolated terrain
near the eastern boundary of the Coconino National Forest grew to
615 acres by Wednesday, officials said.
Forest Service spokesman Ken Frederick said the Mormon fire is
moving in the northeast direction and flames were moving from
treetop to treetop.
Crews were withdrawn Tuesday because building lines around the
fire wouldn't keep the flames from jumping from one clump of trees
to another.
The fire is expected to burn itself out as it moves toward open
space where trees are more thinned out and remote. The evening
humidity would also contribute to the fire dying out, Frederick
said.
The blaze wasn't threatening homes or structures. It was burning
six miles south of Interstate 40, but no highway closures were
expected.
Officials expect full containment June 20.
STRIP FIRE:
LITTLEFIELD, Ariz. (AP) - The 56-acre Swiss fire was fully
contained Wednesday, fire officials said.
The blaze on the Arizona Strip, 15 miles south of St. George,
Utah, was sparked by lightning Sunday. The fire was in a remote
area and was not threatening any structures.
David Boyd, a spokesman for the Bureau of Land Management, said
firefighters were expected to be finished with the blaze Wednesday
night.
JUNIPER FIRE:
PRESCOTT, Ariz. (AP) - A fire grew to 95 acres in the northwest
corner of the Prescott National Forest on Wednesday.
About 20 firefighters worked on the lightning-caused Juniper
fire that has been burning toward the northeast flanks, officials
said. The crew will stay overnight to make sure the fire doesn't
spread drastically.
The fire is close to private land, but no structures were
threatened, said fire information officer Ted Pettis.
Officials closed one recreation hiking trail because of the
fire.
Fire crews are letting the blaze burn itself out.
"It may be creeping around for another three or four weeks as
long as it stays low key and stays in the wilderness and doesn't
threaten any life or structures," Pettis said.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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June 12th

ALPINE, Ariz. (AP) - Crews continued burnout operations on
Thursday evening around the 5,200 acre Thomas fire in eastern
Arizona.
Gail Aschenbrenner, Forest Service spokeswoman, said helicopters
also dropped combustibles in hard to reach areas Thursday as part
of burn-out operations. Crews were focusing on the west and
northwest flank of the fire, Aschenbrenner said.
"The winds did exactly what we wanted today," Aschenbrenner
said late Thursday. "Everything's looking real good."
The fire is burning on about 8.5 acres in the Apache-Sitgreaves
National Forest about 15 miles southwest of here.
Arizona 191 was expected to be closed for several hours Thursday
night as crews expanded the fire lines to highway's east and south
border, she said.
The road was expected to be reopened by Friday, she said.
Pilot cars have stopped traffic and lead vehicles through heavy
smoke - activities which will continue as smoke conditions warrant,
Aschenbrenner said.
Jonetta Holt, a U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman, said several
hundred firefighters and nine hot shot crews were among those
fighting the fire Thursday. They were building fire lines and
igniting some burnout sections with drip torches, Holt said.

MORMON FIRE:
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - A wildfire burning in isolated terrain
near the eastern boundary of the Coconino National Forest grew to
about 705 acres by Thursday, officials said.
"It's pretty moderate fire behavior, it's not spreading
exceedingly rapidly," said fire information officer Raquel
Poturalski.
The Mormon fire continued to move in a northeast direction and
fire officials expect it to burn itself out as it moves toward open
space where trees are more thinned out.
Crews were withdrawn Tuesday because the flames were jumping
from one clump of trees to another, and building lines around the
blaze wouldn't stop their spread.
The fire is being monitored three times a day by air and once a
day by a fire crew member on land.
The blaze wasn't threatening homes or structures. It was burning
six miles south of Interstate 40, where smoke from the fire was
visible, but no highway closures were expected.
Officials expect full containment June 20.
JUNIPER FIRE:
PRESCOTT, Ariz. (AP) - A fire grew to about 200 acres in the
northwest corner of the Prescott National Forest on Thursday.
"It's not doing much; it's just about to burn itself out,"
said Tom Tobin, Central West Zone coordinator.
Fire crews were withdrawn Thursday and officials are monitoring
the blaze by air.
Though winds have reached 13 mph in the area, the flames are
burning deeper into the wilderness in the northeast direction away
from private property, fire information officer Ted Pettis said.
No structures were being threatened.
Officials closed one recreation hiking trail Wednesday because
of the fire.
HAY FIRE:
PARKER, Ariz. (AP) - Firefighters contained a 300-acre blaze
Thursday afternoon on the Colorado River Indian Reservation.
About 100 firefighters worked to contain the blaze, which was
charring brush and mesquite near the Colorado River about six miles
south of Parker, said fire information officer Lori Cook. There
were no injuries.
Sixteen engines, one dozer and four water tenders were also used
to battle the fire.
The fire had threatened three homes Wednesday night and forced
the evacuation of two families. The families were allowed to return
home Thursday morning.
The cause remained under investigation, but there had been no
lightning in the area when it started Wednesday morning.

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June 16th

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - A wildfire burning through drought- and
pest-ravaged pinyon pine and juniper forest had consumed about
1,600 acres by Monday night.
Despite the fire's growth, authorities reopened an 18-mile
stretch of Interstate 40, the main route across northern Arizona,
Monday evening, said Jason Kirchner, fire information officer for
the Coconino National Forest.
The road had been closed for much of the day because of smoke
and flying embers.
The Lizard fire was moving towards the highway but Kirchner said
crews expected that fire lines and previous burn-out operations
would bring the fire down.
Although no structures were threatened, officials were keeping
an eye on the fire's proximity to several power lines, Kirchner
said.
Karen Malis-Clark, a fire information officer for the Coconino
National Forest, said that most of the acreage growth on Monday
resulted from burnout operations.
The blaze was sparked by lightning about a week and a half ago
but smoldered low to the ground until Sunday, said Ken Frederick, a
fire information officer with the Coconino National Forest.
The forest is tinder-dry from years of drought and an
infestation of tree-killing bark beetles.
About 70 firefighters and an air tanker were fighting the blaze
Monday.

THOMAS FIRE
ALPINE, Ariz. - Fire crews continued making progress Monday
toward containing the 10,600-acre Thomas fire in eastern Arizona,
officials said.
The size of the fire was not likely to change, but the blaze
remained active in its interior and toward the southern flank,
Coronado National Forest spokeswoman Gail Aschenbrenner said.
The fire, about 15 miles southwest of Alpine, remained about 80
percent contained, and officials had not set an estimated time for
full containment yet, she said.
Crews continued to hold and expand fire lines Monday,
essentially mopping up and patrolling on the western and northern
flanks and holding the perimeter lines on the eastern and southern
flanks.
Three hotshot crews were staying out in the field, with food and
supplies being ferried by helicopter, Aschenbrenner said.
Meanwhile, there were isolated showers and thunderstorms, some
bringing lightning strikes and starting at least one new fire, she
said.
Another spokeswoman Teresa Ann Ciapusci, said the cost of
battling the fire was estimated at $2.68 million as of Monday
morning.

MORMON FIRE
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - The Mormon fire had grown to 2,500 acres on
the eastern edge of the Coconino National Forest as it continued
its advance Monday through trees deadened by bark beetles and the
ongoing drought.
"It's not a surprise how large it's gotten," said fire
information officer Raquel Poturalski.
Officials have been carefully watching the lightning-sparked
fire but allowing it to burn through dead trees as it headed toward
grasses and lighter fuels, said Ken Frederick, fire information
officer for the Coconino National Forest.
The fire was not threatening any structures, so as long as it
burned within parameters set by forest officials, it was going to
be allowed to continue, he said.
Officials expected full containment by June 20.

PICACHO RESERVOR
COOLIDGE, Ariz. - A 700-acre blaze was burning through desert
brush on Monday, but fire crews were not actively trying to put out
the blaze.
Arizona State Land Department dispatch manager Deneen Cone said
several people were patrolling the fire to ensure it didn't grow,
but the interior was being allowed to burn to clear out brush.
The fire was not threatening any structures and did not grow
substantially on Monday.
The human-caused blaze started early Saturday.

RIVER FIRE
BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz. - A 491-acre fire on the Colorado River
Indian Reservation was being called fully contained Monday.
The River fire was burning between Bullhead City and Needles,
Calif.
Bureau of Land Management spokeswoman Lori Cook said the
human-caused blaze broke out Thursday.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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June 17th

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - Residents of Summerhaven were evacuated as
the Aspen fire grew to 100 acres on Marshall Peak a few miles south
of town.
"We consider this a significant fire with lots of potential for
growth," said Sharon Brown, fire information officer with the
Coronado National Forest.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department was assisting with the
Tuesday night evacuations, said Deputy Steve Easton, department
spokesman.
"We've closed the road completely at this point and are
evacuating people north of milepost 20," Easton said referring to
the Catalina Highway.
It wasn't immediately known how many people were being asked to
leave their homes.
Although the fire was not threatening any structures, Brown said
evacuations were being done as a precaution should the fire quickly
travel into populated areas.
Meanwhile the Southern Arizona Chapter of the American Red Cross
set up a station at Tucson's Sabino High School to assist evacuees,
said April Brown, Red Cross spokeswoman.
The Aspen fire was first reported Tuesday afternoon but quickly
surged into treetops, leaping through thick ponderosa pines on
Marshall Peak.
An aerial tanker dumped retardant on the blaze burning in rugged
terrain. By Tuesday night, two more tankers and a Type 1 fire team
had been sent for, Brown said.
Large clouds of smoke could be seen over the eastern edge of the
Santa Catalina mountains.
It's unclear how the fire began, Brown said.
A second fire has been reported in the nearby Rincon Mountains,
southeast of the Catalinas and had scorched about half an acre,
Brown said.
Brown said that experts did not believe the two blazes would
join together.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Rx burn gone bad

CAMP VERDE, Ariz.(AP) - A prescribed burn which jumped outside
control lines had charred an estimated 1,250 acres and forced
residents in a small subdivision to evacuate, a fire spokeswoman
said.
Two "Type One" elite firefighting teams as well as bulldozers
worked through Tuesday night fighting the blaze, said Linda
Jackson, a fire information officer with the Prescott National
Forest.
Residents of six homes in the Federal Mine subdivision were
evacuated Tuesday, she said.
Although the fire had come within about a half mile of the
homes, crews, bulldozers and air tankers built wide fire lines and
dropped retardant to protect them, Jackson said.
The fire was burning within a half mile of the homes and about
13 miles northwest of Camp Verde, Jackson said.
When the Cherry fire began, Jackson said that crews were doing
"mop-up" operations as a 4,500 acre prescribed burn wound down.
"The prescribed fire did exactly what we wanted it to do. Then
the wind shifted unexpectedly and it broke through on the north
side and got into some unburned fuels. Then the wind got into it,"
Jackson said.
Although the blaze's exact acreage was not known, Jackson said
the Cherry fire's 1,250 acres was in addition to the 4,500 acre
prescribed burn.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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June 18th

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - Homes and businesses were evacuated in a
mountain community because of a wildfire feeding on pine forest
ravaged by drought and bark beetles.
About 150 acres had burned by Wednesday near the hamlet of
Summerhaven, on Mount Lemmon outside Tucson, said fire information
officer Marylee Peterson. The fire started Tuesday about two to
three miles from Summerhaven.
By afternoon, flames had drawn to within a mile or less of the
community, said Forest Service spokesman Randall Smith. Still, the
fire was not advancing as quickly as it had earlier.
"We have had some gusty winds, but nothing extremely strong,
and we are beginning to make progress on the fire," Smith said.
All residences and businesses in Summerhaven were evacuated late
Tuesday. About 20 fire trucks were posted in the southern Arizona
community Wednesday, Peterson said.
Elsewhere, a blaze in the Sierra Nevada near Carson City, Nev.,
had been contained after burning 1,200 acres and closing a highway
to Lake Tahoe.
The nation's two largest wildfires had blackened a total of
nearly 70,000 acres in southwestern New Mexico, but they were
low-intensity blazes being managed for the benefit of the forest,
officials said.
"They're good fires," Gila National Forest spokeswoman Loretta
Ray said Tuesday in Silver City, N.M. "It's been a good
opportunity to allow fire to resume its role in the ecosystem."
And in central Arizona, a prescribed burn that jumped fire lines
had burned some 1,500 acres, forcing the evacuation of about 15
homes in the rural community of Cherry.
Although Summerhaven is home to about 100 year-round residents,
the population swells during weekends and summers. There are more
than 700 homes and cabins on the flanks of 9,157-foot Mount Lemmon.
Peterson said she didn't know how many people had been
evacuated.
Last year, a fire that burned more than 30,000 acres came within
several hundred feet of Summerhaven, forcing residents to evacuate
for two weeks.

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June 18th

CAMP VERDE, Ariz. (AP) - A prescribed burn jumped fire lines and
burned 1,500 acres, forcing residents to evacuate an area about 13
miles northwest of Camp Verde.
On Tuesday, officials evacuated about 15 homes in the small
community of Cherry to the east of the fire; only about six are
believed to belong to permanent residents, said fire information
officer Gary Wittman.
By Wednesday morning, the fire, charring chaparral and low
brush, had burned past the subdivision and was heading north.
"They're fairly secure right now," he said.
But fire information officer Jackie Denk said residents remained
evacuated until officials were sure the fire would not shift
directions and head back toward the homes.
Fire crews, aided by aircraft and engines, planned to build fire
lines on the east and west sides of the fire hoping to pinch it off
on the north side, Wittman said.
About 150 to 200 firefighters were working on the blaze
Wednesday and more were being added, said Denk.
Heavy smoke was reported over much of the Verde Valley in
central Arizona.
The fire started with a controlled burn of 4,500 acres on
Monday, but erratic winds propelled the fire over control lines
Tuesday, charring the additional 1,500 acres.

LIZARD FIRE
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - A 2,900-acre fire east of Flagstaff continued
burning south of Interstate 40 on Wednesday.
Firefighters were performing backburning operations on the
blaze, hoping to get it contained by Thursday nigh, said fire
information officer Connie Birkland.
The backburning will likely cause the fire to grow an additional
500 acres, she said.
The Lizard fire was sparked more than a week ago by lightning
but didn't flare up until the weekend.
On Tuesday, the blaze caused heavy smoke to fall over Flagstaff.
It remained hazy over the city Wednesday, Birkland said.

PICTURE FIRE
PUNKIN CENTER, Ariz. - A fire was burning north of Roosevelt
Lake on Wednesday in a remote area of the Tonto National Forest.
The blaze, estimated at 600 to 700 acres, had been reported at
just 15 acres on Tuesday, said fire information officer Dave
Killebrew. "It grew pretty dramatically," he said.
The fire, 10 miles north of Roosevelt Lake, is believed to be
human-caused, but it remains under investigation.
Sixty to 75 firefighters were working on the blaze, but more
were on the way, Killebrew said.

MORMON FIRE
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - The 2,600-acre Mormon fire continued to burn
within the perimeter set by fire officials.
The lightning-sparked fire was being allowed to burn as long as
it stayed within those lines, fire information officer Connie
Birkland said Wednesday.
The fire has headed into lighter fuels and is expected to
eventually burn itself out, she said.

PICACHO RESERVOIR FIRE
COOLIDGE, Ariz. - An 850-acre fire north of Picacho was 90
percent contained Wednesday.
The blaze was being allowed to burn itself out as long as it
stayed within the Picacho Reservoir area, said Cliff Pearlberg of
the Arizona State Land Department.
The human-caused blaze started on Saturday and was charring
grasses, mesquite trees and small brush.
Full containment of the blaze was expected late Friday, said
Pearlberg.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - A wildfire driven by winds up to 60 mph
roared through a southern Arizona mountain community Thursday,
burning 200 to 250 homes, a fire official said.
It took less than an hour for the fire to tear through an area
of Summerhaven with about 500 homes, burning some and sparing
others, said Larry Humphrey, commander of the team directing the
fight against the fire.
Firefighters had hoped to protect the homes on Mount Lemmon
north of Tucson by making a stand along a trail about a mile away,
but had to pull back when the intense blaze crossed the path,
Humphrey said.
The fire had forced the evacuation of Summerhaven, a community
with hundreds of vacation homes and about 100 year-round residents,
shortly after it started Tuesday.
Humphrey said the fire, which had been reported at about 465
acres early Thursday, had grown to cover thousands of acres by late
afternoon, and could threaten radio transmitters and a radar
facility on the mountain.
The blaze consumed pine trees ravaged by years of drought and an
infestation of tree-killing bark beetles. It was one of several
wildfires throughout Arizona, where fire officials are braced for
another busy year after seeing a record 630,000 acres burned in
2002.
Humphrey said crews planned to fight structure fires through the
night. They were hampered by exploding propane tanks and downed
power lines, he said.
"We're going to continue to go in there ... and protect the
ones that we can and save the ones that we can," Humphrey said.
"And then we're going to go back to the drawing board to see what
we can do to put this fire to sleep."
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
About 400 people were fighting the fire, assisted by air tankers
and helicopters. But with high winds and low humidity expected to
hinder their efforts in coming days, "there's not a thing
happening that's on our side," Humphrey said.
"This fire is burning very hot, very intense," said Chadeen
Palmer, a spokeswoman for the team directing the firefighting
efforts.
Palmer said the wildfire resembled last year's Rodeo-Chediski
fire, the worst in Arizona history. That eastern Arizona blaze
covered 469,000 acres, destroyed 491 buildings and forced the
evacuation of about 30,000 people.
Summerhaven has an estimated 700 homes and cabins and a handful
of businesses. Its population swells during weekends and summers as
visitors drive up 9,157-foot Mount Lemmon to escape the desert
heat.
Firefighters held a briefing for evacuees and owners of second
homes in Summerhaven at a resort hotel in nearby Oro Valley. The
hotel provided a ballroom as an information center and rooms for
evacuees.
Some residents cried, others hugged when they were heard about
the damage. Others simply reflected.
"To have a house up there has been a dream of mine since I was
a kid," said Ron DeSchalit, who has owned a home in Summerhaven
since 1999.
Cathy Dimond has worked at the Mount Lemmon Cafe for two years,
commuting up the mountain.
"Pretty much my entire social circle is on the mountain,"
Dimond said. "It's like watching my own back yard going up in
flames."
Fifty-one residents had registered with the Red Cross, said
April Brown, the organization's public relations coordinator.
Gov. Janet Napolitano declared a state of emergency Thursday to
free up money for firefighting efforts. She said she plans to seek
a similar declaration from the federal government to bring in aid
that would include low-interest loans to rebuild homes.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Background info on Summerhaven

Summerhaven, Ariz., is aptly named, a sky island 25 miles
northeast of and 6,000 feet above Tucson.
Several hundred people find relief there from the desert summers
in cabins and second homes. It's a year-round home to about 100,
complete with the southernmost ski area in the United States and a
one-room school.
Thousands of others head up winding Catalina Highway each year
to escape the heat or throw snowballs.
Summerhaven sits atop 9,150-foot Mount Lemmon and is surrounded
by the Coronado National Forest. It has about 700 homes and cabins
and a handful of businesses. Most sit on 350 acres of private land;
others are on land leased from the U.S. Forest Service.
Many of the homes are primitive cabins built in the 1950s and
early '60s. Some recently-constructed homes are much fancier and
can sell for up to $200,000.
Summerhaven started about a century ago with a homestead. After
the Depression, Randolph Jenks bought most of the acreage from the
defunct Summerhaven Land and Improvement Co. and added private land
through mining claims.
School teacher Tony Zimmerman sold lots for him, opened a
chicken-dinner restaurant and inn, built a post office and operated
a sawmill.
Unlike most southern Arizona residents, Summerhaven dwellers
contend with a real winter. A hundred inches or more of snow is
common, though the area had been in a prolonged drought.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Summary June 19th

CAMP VERDE, Ariz. (AP) - Residents evacuated from a tiny
community north of Cherry were allowed to return home on Thursday.
The 15 homes had been evacuated since Tuesday, but the fire,
which began as a prescribed burn before jumping the line, burned
past the community without damaging structures.
Firefighters hoped to get the 1,000-acre Cherry fire fully
contained by Friday.
Officials had initially estimated the fire at about 1,500 acres,
but based on mapping, they revised the figure downward on Thursday.
The blaze, about 13 miles northwest of Camp Verde, was 90
percent contained Thursday.

LIZARD FIRE
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - Firefighters expected to fully contain a
4,500-acre fire burning east of Flagstaff by Friday evening.
"The fire's looking really good," said fire information
officer Ken Frederick on Thursday.
About 100 firefighters aided by six engines and two water
tankers worked Thursday on clearing the mostly dead pinion and
juniper trees around the fire, which was 85 percent contained.
Fire crews tried to protect archaeological sites in the area by
conducting burnout operations, instead of using bulldozers.
Two power poles burned, but power was rerouted.
Light smoke was visible from Interstate 40 east of Flagstaff,
but no structures or properties were threatened.
Lightning sparked the blaze nearly two weeks ago.

MORMON FIRE
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - The 2,600-acre Mormon fire continued to burn
Thursday within a perimeter set by fire officials.
"It's very inactive," said Ken Frederick, a fire information
officer. "It's looking really good. Fire activity has really
diminished in the past two to three days."
The lightning-sparked fire was being allowed to burn as long as
it stayed within those lines. It was expected to eventually burn
itself out.

PICACHO RESERVOIR FIRE
COOLIDGE, Ariz. - An 875-acre fire north of Picacho was expected
to be fully contained by late Friday.
The blaze was being allowed to burn itself out as long as it
stayed within the Picacho Reservoir area, said Cliff Pearlberg of
the Arizona State Land Department.
Fire crews aided by an engine were monitoring the fire Thursday,
which threatened one residence. No evacuation was ordered, and it
wasn't clear if anyone lived in the structure, said fire
information officer Bob Celaya.
The fire, which was 90 percent contained Thursday, was started
by people on Saturday.

PICTURE FIRE
PUNKIN CENTER, Ariz. - A fire burning north of Roosevelt Lake
had grown to 1,600 acres by Thursday.
The Picture fire in the Tonto National Forest had been reported
at just 15 acres on Tuesday but grew dramatically by Wednesday.
More than 400 firefighters were working on the blaze, 10 miles
north of Roosevelt Lake, but no estimated date of containment was
set, said fire information officer Rick Hartigan.
The fire, burning in a remote area, was not threatening any
structures.
It was believed to be human-caused, but it remains under
investigation, Hartigan said.

POWELL FIRE
GRAND CANYON, Ariz. - Officials monitored but were not fighting
a lightning-caused fire that had burned about 375 acres on the
north rim of the Grand Canyon.
The Powell fire, which began Sunday, was in an area about 15
miles northwest of the developed North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
The fire was allowed to burn as part of a strategy of letting
naturally ignited wildland fires go to replenish wilderness, said
fire information officer Nancy Guerrero.
"As long as it's not destroying anything, we're happy,"
Guerrero said. "It was determined that it was more beneficial to
allow this fire to burn than to suppress it."
Despite the fire, the North Rim remained open to visitors, but
the North Bass and Powell Plateau trails along with Swamp Ridge
Road jal!been closed temporarily, park spokeswoman Maureen Oltrogge
said.
Eight fire crew members were monitoring the fire Thursday to
ensure it didn't spread drastically.
The fire is likely to last for several weeks, and with
anticipated daily growth of 50 to 200 acres, it could mushroom to
several thousand acres, said Craig Letz, the park's fire use
manager.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

June 22nd

SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (AP) - Residents evacuated from 25 homes
were allowed to return home Sunday morning after a wildfire about
15 miles south of here no longer threatened their structures,
officials said.
Crews succeeded in protecting the homes by conducting back-burns
that moved toward the 1,000-acre wildfire in Ash Canyon and robbed
the blaze of some of its natural fuels, said fire information
officer Joan Vasey.
The fire was 50 percent contained by Sunday night, and full
containment was expected by Monday night, Vasey said.
"The terrain is one of the things challenging the
firefighters," Vasey said.
She said the fire didn't really grow Sunday, but it is still
actively burning in the upper elevations.
"We hope to get a handle on the fire before the winds really
kick in," she said.
Two Hot Shot crews were fighting the blaze Sunday and five more
crews were requested, she said.
The cause of the Ash fire, which began midday Saturday, was
under investigation. No injuries were reported.
Aircraft dumping water and retardant on the fire were grounded
temporarily because of high winds, Vasey said.

HELEN II FIRE
SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. (AP) - A fire in steep and rocky
terrain in the Rincon Mountains had burned about 640 acres of oak
and pine by Sunday.
There are no structures in the area, but the Helen II fire was
threatening Mexican spotted owl and peregrine falcon habitat,
officials said.
Several campgrounds and trails were closed.
The fire started Tuesday and was lightning-caused. It was 20
percent contained.
Of the 301 people at the fire scene, one minor injury was
reported, said Saguaro National Park Service spokeswoman Karen
Lightfoot.

POWELL FIRE
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. (AP) - A fire on the north rim
of the Grand Canyon continued to burn Sunday.
Park officials monitored progress of the Powell fire but were
allowing it to burn to restore the ecosystem.
The natural fire had consumed more than 610 acres since it
started June 15.
The developed portion of the north rim remained open to visitors
though the North Bass, Powell Plateau, and Swamp Ridge Trails are
temporarily closed.
The fire is expected to burn several weeks.

PICTURE FIRE
PUNKIN CENTER, Ariz. (AP) - A fire burning north of Roosevelt
Lake had grown to about 11,230 acres by Sunday, officials said.
The Picture fire was 50 percent contained. The fire, which has
run into sparser fuels, is expected to be fully contained by
Thursday, said fire information officer Rick Barton.
He said the fire fighters still have 6 miles of line to build
before it is completely contained.
The blaze was continuing to burn in a remote area, where an
outbuilding and spotted owl habitat were threatened, Barton said.
The nearest community, Young, is about 10 miles from the fire,
but it was not threatened.
The Picture fire in the Tonto National Forest had been reported
at just 15 acres on Tuesday but grew dramatically by Wednesday.
The fire, which is10 miles north of Roosevelt Lake, was believed
to be human-caused, but it remains under investigation.
There have been no injuries, Barton said.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)