Stina Fire Now Twenty Percent Contained

Fredonia, Ariz., Aug. 15, 2018 — For Immediate Release.  Hard work by crews and rain from Mother Nature yesterday enabled fire managers of the Stina Fire to declare that the fire is now twenty-percent contained. 

 

The fire received from one-half to one inch of rain that slowed the fires spread.  The north flank of the fire is now secure, and fire managers are calling this section of the fire contained.  The rain was welcome; however, fire managers are cautious. 

 

“Just because we received rain today, does not mean this fire is over. There is still a significant portion of the fire that has heat and flames that are not secured with fireline” said Incident Commander Trainee Dave Veater.  The rain did prevent crews from completing burn out operations that are necessary to secure fire lines.

 

Resources:

Two 20-person hotshot crews and one 20-person Type-two hand crew

Eight Fire Engines

One Dozer

One Water Tender

Miscellaneous overhead (a total of 108 personnel)

 

Stina Fire Overview

Start date: July 26, 2018

Size: 1,900 acres

Containment: 20%

Location: The Stina Fire is 23 miles southwest of Jacob Lake and about 2 miles east of Fire Point on the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest.

Fuel: Ponderosa pine, aspen and mixed conifer.

Weather: Forecasters anticipate a 40-50% chance of rain to remain in the forecast until the weekend.

Strategy: Full suppression

 

Situational Update: Today plans are to assess the uncontrolled fire’s edge and look at opportunities to go direct with fireline construction and/or hot spot the fire's edge.  Direct fireline construction occurs when crews dig fireline by hand on the edge of the flaming front of the fire.  Hot spotting refers to finding areas of heat along the line and putting the hot spot out.  Additional work for today will be to start chipping material that was thinned to prepare firelines and spreading the chipped material.

 

Closures: A closure is in effect for Forest Roads 223 (going to Fire Point), 268, 206, 271, 609, 250 road south of the 250/294 junction, a portion of the 239 and all Rainbow Rim trails and scenic viewpoints south of Locust Point. The trail between Locust Point and Parissawampitts Point will remain open for forest visitors. The closure order will remain in place until it is considered safe to enter the area.

 

Smoke: Smoke is visible on both the North and South Rims of the park, and there is a regional haze present in surrounding communities from multiple wildfires in the West. Individuals sensitive to smoke can learn how to help protect their health by visiting the Coconino County Public Health Services District website at http://bit.ly/SmokeHealthAwareness.

 

For fire information on the Kaibab National Forest, visit www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab and Inciweb under the name of the fire at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov  or visit us on Facebook and Twitter @KaibabNF or call (928) 635-8311 for recorded fire information.

 

Cat Fire is Growing Slowly

Fredonia, Ariz., Aug. 15, 2018 — For Immediate Release.  The Cat Fire continues to spread slowly to the southeast, creeping along the forest floor and occasionally flaming up in areas where there are dense pockets of unburned fuel. 

“The fire is creating a mosaic of burned and unburned patches within the wilderness,” said North Kaibab District Ranger Randall Walker. “It’s doing what fire has naturally done here, enhancing the wilderness character and creating a diverse landscape.”

Resources:

Total of 102 personnel including two hotshot crews, nine engines, and two water tenders

Overview:

Date Reported: August 6, 2018              Size: 3,635 acres

Strategy: Full suppression

Location: The Cat Fire is about 25 miles southeast of Jacob Lake in the Saddle Mountain Wilderness on the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest.

Fuel: Mixed conifer, ponderosa pine, and pinyon-juniper.

Weather: Forecasters anticipate a continuation of scattered thundershowers in the area

Situational update: Moisture on the fire has slowed the fire progress and preparations along Forest Roads (FR) 610 and 219 are nearing completion.  Crews are continuing to monitor the fire activity and have begun to chip the woody debris, or slash, generated from the road preparation work. 

Closures: Fire management resources have closed all roads within the planning area boundary, which includes FR 213 and 220 on the north, FR 610 on the east and south, and House Rock Valley Road 8910 on the east.

The following trails are closed: Arizona Trail from FR 213 to FR 610, North Canyon Trail, South Canyon Trail, Saddle Mountain Trail, and Pt. Imperial and Nankoweap Trails, which are both located on Kaibab National Forest and Grand Canyon National Park land. The closure will remain in effect until it is considered safe to enter the area. Roads 213, 219, 220 south of 213, 610 (Marble Viewpoint, South Canyon), 611 (East Rim), and 8910 south of 220 are closed.

Smoke: Smoke is visible on both the North and South Rims of the park, and there is a regional haze present in surrounding communities from multiple wildfires in the West. Individuals sensitive to smoke can learn how to help protect their health by visiting the Coconino County Public Health Services District website at http://bit.ly/SmokeHealthAwareness.