22 June 2010

Flagstaff Fire Update, Pics


Winds Spread Flagstaff Fires to 8,850+ acres
-Hundreds Now Urged to Evacuate-
The combination of high temperatures, low humidity and high winds have challenged firefighters on the ground and in the air. Monday's forecast called for sustained winds of up to 20 mph with gusts of more than 30 mph, grounding air tankers.

Fire crews battling the Schultz Fire were working to protect homes in the fire's path. Residents of several hundred homes remained under evacuation orders as the blaze moved within 500 yards of some of those homes, said fire team spokesman Eric Neitzel.

Firefighters worked feverishly overnight to build a containment line between forest land and the communities. They also were digging trenches, clearing out dry brush from around homes and spraying them down in hopes they will be spared, Neitzel said.

Rolling clouds of black and gray smoke choked out the sky north of Flagstaff, and bright red and orange flames shot up more than 60 feet in the air. The smoke lingered over roadways, forcing drivers to use headlights in daylight hours.

Areas just north of Flagstaff that are under evacuation orders are a mix of upscale, manufactured, ranch-style and second homes that sit at the foot of the mountains and beyond.

No structures have burned in the blaze, which had zero containment.

The fire also was abutting U.S. Highway 89, a key route to Grand Canyon National Park, and officials remained concerned that high winds could cause the fire to leap across the roadway.

A federal management team took over direction of the firefighting effort Monday, a move that will expand access to resources.

The fire was the second that broke out in two days in the Flagstaff area, both of which spurred evacuations across this forested mountain city. A third fire burning 11 miles northeast of nearby Williams is 60 percent contained after burning 3,420 acres
Sadly, as is so-often the case, these latest Arizona wildfires were completely unnecessary, as an arsonist has been arrested for starting the dangerous and wasteful blazes...


Flagstaff fire general developments and up-to-the-minute specifics on the Schultz Fire and the Hardy Fire can be obtained from the City of Flagstaff AZ -here-



Real-time Flagstaff fire updates available throughout the day for local residents at KNAU Sedona 88.7 FM, or for anyone at the online streaming broadcast -here-