Brad Bramlett, a member of the National Fire Prevention Education Team, who visited Arizona, demonstrates the importance of securing trailer chains on vehicles at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport on June 8, 2022. Loose chains can cause sparks against the road when a vehicle is moving, which can ignite dry grass. (Photo by Troy Hill/Cronkite News)
The tank under a DC-10 Very Large Air Tanker Truck (VLAT) can hold 9,400 gallons of fire retardant. One is parked at the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in Mesa on June 8, 2022. (Photo by Troy Hill/Cronkite News)
Chris Price, base manager at the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Tanker Truck Base, stands inside a large tanker truck to demonstrate how its internal fire retardant tank is used to fight wildfires at the Mesa Airport on March 8. June 2022. (Photo by Troy Hill News/Cronkite)
PHOENIX – Hot and windy conditions Tuesday pushed the Pipeline Fire north of Flagstaff toward Schultz Pass, prompting some evacuations under towering plumes of ash and smoke.
The fire, which was reported Sunday morning, has burned more than 20,000 acres about 6 miles north of Flagstaff, according to InciWeb, which tracks wildfires across the country.
The fire is one of two in the Coconino National Forest: The Haywire Fire east of the pipeline, reported Monday, has so far burned more than 4,000 acres.
Several Flagstaff neighborhoods have been evacuated, including around the Arizona Snowbowl, and several others are set to evacuate. Flagstaff Mayor Paul Deasy issued an emergency declaration Monday.
(Video by Rachel Fortunato/Cronkite News)
In addition to the fires near Flagstaff, others are burning near the Mexican border and one is burning in eastern Arizona.
The exact causes of the Flagstaff fires are unknown, but Matthew Riser, 57, was arrested in connection with the pipeline fire, according to court documents obtained by The Arizona Republic. He was seen leaving the area in his vehicle, was pulled over during a traffic stop, and has had an initial arraignment on the charge of trespassing on natural resources. He told authorities that he had burned used toilet paper and placed it under a rock, assuming it would go out.
A Facebook post from the Coconino National Forest on Monday said that 11 engines, three water tenders, three rapid-fire crews, one hand crew, four bulldozers, several aerial assets and miscellaneous overhead have been assigned to the Pipeline Fire. For the Haywire fire, 10 engines and more bulldozers have been ordered.
More than 300 people are fighting both fires. Staff are prioritizing evacuating people from the area, according to Fire Incident Commander Aaron Graeser.
Brad Bramlett of the National Fire Prevention Education Team talks about the importance of cars parked on gravel instead of grass if drivers need to stop. Dry grass can ignite in temperatures of 500 degrees and the underside of cars can reach 900 degrees. (Photo by Troy Hill/Cronkite News)
How to prevent forest fires
Recent fires are timely reminders of the need to protect Arizona’s landscape.
About 90% of wildfires are caused by humans, according to the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management. And with the long-term drought, the term “wildfire season” is about to become obsolete, since fires can occur at any time of the year.
In the past two months, 12 fires have burned in Arizona, ranging in size from 112 acres to more than 20,000.
There are several simple ways to contribute to fire safety, said Brad Bramlett, a member of the National Fire Prevention Education Team, who visited Arizona last week. One is to watch where you park on the sides of roads and highways. Wild grass and other vegetation are extremely dry this time of year, especially with the Southwest’s prolonged drought, and can ignite in 500-degree temperatures. The bottom of cars can reach 900 degrees.
The solution is simple: Park on gravel or areas without dry vegetation.
Another easy method of prevention is to pay attention to the chains used to attach trailers to vehicles, Bramlett said, because a steel chain dragging on pavement can send sparks to dry roadside vegetation.
The solution is to secure the chains so they don’t touch the pavement, or cover them with insulation so that if they do touch the road, they don’t spark.
(Video by Julio Mora Rodriguez/Cronkite News)
Source: cronkitenews.azpbs.org