Fire Outbreaks Remind Flagstaff - ‘Tis the Season

Fire Outbreaks Remind Flagstaff - ‘Tis the Season

This week, I was asked, how do I know it's summer in Flagstaff? My off-the-cuff answer was: because I wake up in the morning and see an elk drinking from our bird-feeder. On further reflection, the primary reason that I know its summer is because it is fire season. Both, of course, relate to the early summer lack of moisture that precedes the rains we look forward to in later summer.

Last weekend, it was the Manning Fire. Eighteen acres of charred ruins now spread from Townsend Winona Road to the edge of a home where the fire fighters successfully held back the flames at the end of Manning Road. The Rio Rancho subdivision was set for evacuation with homeowners borrowing backhoes to dig trenches before they left and horses were moved out in advance of the formal evacuation. This weekend in Doney Park, a smaller fire was contained to 1.5 acres at Landfill Road.

Friday, I was driving up San Francisco Street in downtown Flagstaff and saw a slurry tanker plane. At first, I thought it was a plane off course and about to crash. No, it was one of the heroic fire-fighting pilots, risking his life flying close to the ground and close to Mt. Elden to drop slurry on a carelessly caused fire on the east side of McMillen Mesa. The Isabel fire, it was called, and it was held to five acres. The Arizona Daily Sun has published some incredible photos of the plane's work: Izabel Fire 1 and Izabel Fire 2.

At the same time Friday, smoke could be seen to the north west of town as a wildfire about 8 miles north worried residents of the Wing Mountain and Baderville neighborhoods. This was the Wing Fire, which had burned 25 acres by late Friday.

This is a good time to remind Flagstaffonians to prepare their homes for wildfire. I blogged on this topic in April, with tips on how to prepare your home for wildfire season. Last weekend, our friends came over for dinner to review our fire evacuation plans - including relocating our horses to their place, or vice versa. We hope everyone in town has an evacuation plan. And we hope more fervently that none of us need it!

Now it's time to ask our summer visitors to be careful with their campfires, cigarettes, and patriotic fire tools. Campfires are now banned in the Coconino National Forest until further notice. Fire restrictions are in place at Grand Canyon National Park. The Manning fire was caused by a cigarette tossed from a car along the road and the Izabel fire by 4^th of July sparklers. Remember that sparks from backyard barbeques can also endanger a neighborhood.

Enjoy the summer in Flagstaff and Be Safe!

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