La Barranca Fire Update

[Dschur]

Coconino National Forest
http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino
For Immediate Release Contact: Connie Birkland (928) 2037505
Date: June 6, 2006 (928) 6063845
or Anthony Montiel (928) 2037511
La Barranca Fire Update
Verde Valley, AZ ­
The Barranca Fire has transitioned into a Type III Fire Management Team as of
Monday June 5, with Dave Coryn as the Incident Commander. The Incident Command Post is located
at the Beaver Creek Work Center off Forest Road 618, in the Beaver Creek area.
The fire has shown minimal activity, although heat still remains within the interior. The containment
line has not been completed due to inaccessible terrain. The fire remains at 95% containment with mop
up completed along 200 feet of the perimeter. Dust devils have been visible within the fire area and
have potential to spread embers across the fireline.
Start date/time: Thursday, June 1, 2006 – 2 p.m.
Cause: Humancaused.
The La Barranca Fire was caused by a fence company that was grinding on a
metal fence post on private property.
Fuels: Grass, brush, pinyonjuniper
woodland
Size: Total Size – 836 acres
Containment: 95%
Estimated Containment Date: 6 p.m., June 6
Resources Committed: 2 State corrections crews, 3 engines, 1 water tender, 1 helicopter and helitack
crew. Total personnel: 78
Estimated Cost to Date: $1,600,000.
Predicted Weather: Continued hot and dry conditions.
Structures saved: 158
Structures lost:
1 primary residence
1 partiallydamaged
residence
1 guest house/shop destroyed
3 outbuildings destroyed
Closures:
Three trails remain closed: Jacks Canyon, Hot Loop and Munds Mountain.
Residents returned to their homes Saturday afternoon.
Summary: The La Barranca Fire serves to highlight the extreme fire conditions that exist statewide this
year and the importance of everyone being extra careful with fire. The Coconino National Forest
implemented additional fire restrictions Monday, June 5.
To learn more about creating defensible space on private property, please visit: http://www.firewise.org or
http://ag.arizona.edu/firewise/
###

[azbackpackr]

How could those fence building people be such idiots not to know that their grinding would cause multiple sparks? I hope they get sued.