Taylor Fire - Sycamore Canyon area

[Al_HikesAZ]

I saw a lot of smoke coming home from Williams and Flagstaff. Here is the news report.

Ash, smoke from forest fire visible in Flagstaff
by Megan Gordon and Nathan Gonzalez - Aug. 16, 2009 05:41 PM Arizona Republic .

A wildfire burning near Flagstaff grew to nearly 500 acres early Sunday evening with more firefighters being called to assist.

Wind gusts of 30 mph fanned the flames burning in the Coconino National Forest 13 miles southwest of Flagstaff.

Being called the Taylor Fire, it was about 50 acres when it began Sunday morning, said Brady Smith, public affairs officer for Coconino National Forest.
“You can see how fast the wind blew that and spread that fire,” he said.

The haze is visible in Flagstaff and ash is dropping on the northern Arizona town.

More than 100 firefighters, as well as a helicopter water tanker, two air tankers and several fire engines responded to the blaze, which started in Sycamore Canyon, Smith said. He said the forest service is now ordering additional resources to fight the fire, including 100 more firefighters.

Roads 231 and 538, which lead into the blaze, are temporarily closed.

No evacuations are necessary at this point, as no structures are being threatened.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

Fire Marshall Will Loefche with the Sedona Fire District said officials believe the blaze likely began Sunday, but it's possible embers from a lightning strike days ago were left smoldering until this morning.

The wildfire is burning in mixed conifer, oak and ponderosa pine.

[azbackpackr]

My daughter called to tell me about the ashes falling.

[joebartels]

With the lack of storms this year I hope we don't see record late-season wildfire activity

[fotogirl53]

Checking the road closures and the map on geomac.gov, this fire appears to be in the Winter Cabin Trail area that connects to Taylor Cabin. I think Winter Cabin is in the path of the fire, as FR 538 is the short road you take to the parking area at the trailhead. This is a favorite fall hike of mine because of the bigtooth maple trees and the creek down by Winter Cabin.

[azbackpackr]

My daughter told me an hour ago that it was very smoky all day in Flag until evening. She said this evening there was a huge plume visible. So it's still goin' strong. Updated news said there are about 500 firefighters working it, plus some air support.

[oceanwithin]

it looks like almost all the fire crews in AZ are currently working this fire -- for more in depth info, I recommend the hotlist forum (updates generally posted by fire personnel):

http://www.wildlandfire.com/hotlist/sho ... hp?t=10620

[chumley]

I've attached a .kml file which allows you to view the fire perimeter in Google Earth. (Or add to Google Maps). The most recent update is dated 8/16, but you can download the updates from geomac.gov

[chumley]

As of this morning, the fire has increased to 3770 acres ... up from 700 yesterday! The perimeter/maps have not been updated yet to reflect where the growth has occurred. I did read in the situation report that they are not planning for 100% containment until 8/30, nearly 2 weeks from now. It seems that because no structures are threatened in the wilderness, that they will be setting up defensive perimeters outside the wilderness and allowing the fire to burn.

From yesterday's "Incident Fact Sheet"

Control of the fire within the wilderness area will be difficult due to extreme and dangerous terrain. Many opportunities for control of the fire will present themselves on top of Sycamore Canyon and out of the wilderness.

[joebartels]

That's almost 6 square miles. Another forest I put off visiting being wiped out

[chumley]

Here's the map from today. While only reporting 10% containment, it looks like they have either burned out or are in the process of burning out nearly 50% of the perimeter.

[chumley]

The Wednesday update was just released.
Acres: 3,545
Containment: 65%
Demobilization begins today, Aug. 19th. Crews will augment containment lines, patrol, hold, and mop up.

Sounds like they feel pretty good about where things stand!

[Jim]

...Another forest I put off visiting being wiped out

Don't be so sure of that. Looking at the satellite images of the fire area, it looks like a lot of the burn unit just southwest of the FR 231- 231A road, which was used as the northeast line for the fire, the forest appears fairly open and looks like it may have been larger old trees with an open canopy. There may be some crown scorch and tree torching, but I wouldn't expect it to be a burned out dog hair thicket. Had it not been for the human caused start and the rapid growth, they may have let this burn as they did so many other fires this summer. Though, fire danger levels have increased rapidly as of late with the almost complete absence of monsoon moisture. The area of this fire might be worth checking out when they reopen roads in a week or so.

Had this been a lighting fire that started a month ago when conditions were more conducive to "managed fire for resource benefit", I wonder what the fire boundaries would have been. There is a good chance the fire might have been allowed to burn in its current areas, but it would have done so at a slower pace. My guess is that it would have been allowed to burn parallel to the Rim and east towards East Pocket and kept south of the 231-231A road to keep it out of the West Fork, but that is just a guess. BTW, I was in California camped in the Sierra when this got going, just to let you know. ;)

[fotogirl53]

The fire commander interview that was on ABC 15 last night said that they are thinking this was a lightning strike that smoldered until the winds picked up. My experience with the Winter Cabin Trail was that there of lots of dead and down trees and a really overgrown ponderosa forest. Hopefully they can get it down from the treetops to the undergrowth, where it could do some good.

[chumley]

Had it not been for the human caused start...

I've seen no reports of the ignition source other than "unknown/under investigation" ... have you seen or heard something elsewhere to indicate a human ignition?

[Jim]

Had it not been for the human caused start...

I've seen no reports of the ignition source other than "unknown/under investigation" ... have you seen or heard something elsewhere to indicate a human ignition?

I had seen something which said "under investigation". I just made the jump to human. They never really know, since someone who knows what they are doing could choose an area were lightning had been in and set a fire to look like a natural ignition, but no, I have only seen "under investigation". A nearly absent monsoon has left stuff really dry up here. It feels like June, not late August, and we've had .34" of rain at the airport this month, typically this is one of the wettest. Fire behavior, fuels, and other things probably were nothing like they were in the area that the near by Cross Fire was in, and so it became a fast growing suppression fire. Still, it would be worth taking a look at the area in a few weeks to see how the burn was, it might not have been that bad.

[Jim]

I'm planning on driving out on FR 231 to the Rim today. I want to spend some time in the Taylor burn area and get some pics. Hopefully I'll have some ones to post this evening.
Sincerely,
The Dean

[Ckzona]

You know i really really think its a human started fire. It was obviously a very wet winter and I don't even think a lighting strike at this time of the year would ignite the forest. So in my opinion some asshole out in that area started a fire and it got out of control.

[kevinweitzel75]

News 3 just annouced that this fire was caused by AZ Game and Fish. They were building a water containment and their torch caught some brush on fire. Fire crews said that it sould be 100% contained by tonight.

[Dschur]

News 3 just annouced that this fire was caused by AZ Game and Fish. They were building a water containment and their torch caught some brush on fire. Fire crews said that it sould be 100% contained by tonight.

That fire is the 89 Mesa fire and it is North of Flagstaff and as of 1105 this morning per wildlandfire.com

Fire is 550 ac & is 30% contained; T2 IMT (NAZ-Nelson), 3 T1 crews (Blue Ridge, Flagstaff, Mormon Lake IHC), T2 crew (Bear Jaw), 14 eng, doz assigned today; 17 structures threatened; fire behavior is individual & group torching w/moderate range spotting

[kevinweitzel75]

Yea, should of said that. oops.