Community News

North Zone Pine Hollow Fire update – Aug. 3, 2017

August 3, 2017

 Fredonia, Ariz., Aug. 3, 2017 — For Immediate Release. The Pine Hollow wildfire received significant moisture yesterday, and as a result rain showers moderated fire behavior on the lightning-caused fire resulting in no growth in the last 24 hours. However, as the weekend approaches a drying trend is forecasted for the Kaibab Plateau, and with that trend fire managers anticipate smoke sightings to increase.

 

Fire personnel also responded to three new lightning-caused fires within the last 48 hours. There has been a total of 10 new lightning-caused starts on the North Zone within the last two weeks.

As a reminder, all natural ignitions are evaluated for opportunities to bring resiliency back to the landscape and restore fire-adapted ecosystems throughout the forest. Fire managers take into consideration many factors when determining what actions to take on a wildfire. Firefighter and public safety is always number one, but other factors include: location, fuels, terrain, current and expected weather conditions, current and expected fire behavior, potential fire spread and smoke impacts.

 

“The healthier the landscape is here on the Kaibab, the more likely it is to resist insects, disease and high mortality from drought conditions and increase the forest’s survivability when a high-severity wildfire does occur,” said North Kaibab District Ranger Randall Walker.

 

Name: Pine Hollow Wildfire                                                                                                     

Started: Wednesday, July 19, 2017  

Cause: Lightning

Location: The fire is west of Big Springs Field Station in the vicinity of Little Mountain on the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest.

Size: Approximately 1,600 acres

Planning Area Boundary: 10,295 acres

Fuels: The wildfire is burning in ponderosa pine fuel type and debris left from the Pipeline Fire of 2009

Resources: 1 Type-4 Incident Commander, 1 Type-3 engine, 2 Type-6 engines, 1 fuels crew and 1 patrol

Weather Forecast: A general drying trend with daily chances for showers and thunderstorms decreasing across northern Arizona.  Near average temperatures are expected.

Expected Actions: Continue monitoring fire behavior and implement firing operations as needed.

 

Additional fire activity updates may be obtained through the following sources:

·        Kaibab National Forest Website: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab

·        InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5402/

·        Kaibab National Forest Fire Information phone line: (928) 635-8311

·        Text Message text ‘follow kaibabnf’ to 40404

·        Visit us on Facebook and Twitter @KaibabNF