Fire Grows Slowly While Providing Benefits to Fore
Incident: 22 Prescribed Fire
Released: 5/9/2008
WILLIAMS, Ariz. - The "22" Wildland Fire Use event on the Tusayan Ranger District is 133 acres and is gradually spreading to the southwest, as local fire managers had predicted. The fire was started by lightning Tuesday and is being managed for resource benefits.
Favorable conditions exist to manage this fire in a fairly open ponderosa pine ecosystem that historically would have supported fires every five to 10 years. Regular intervals of fire activity in this type of ecosystem helps to improve forest health, reduce hazardous fuels, and improve and increase wildlife habitat.
Fire managers have observed many beneficial effects as the fire has moved naturally across the landscape. Yesterday, fire personnel described the "22" Wildland Fire Use Fire as a slowly creeping, backing fire with low flame lengths.
The area southeast of Tusayan in which the fire use fire is burning has benefited from numerous prescribed fire projects and wildland fire use events. These barriers to rapid fire spread will assist fire managers in keeping the fire within a defined boundary.
Resources assigned to the fire are two crews from the Arizona State Forestry Division, two engines and several fire use specialists. Personnel have taken management actions to protect cultural resources north of the fire and reinforce existing fire breaks. Today they will patrol the fire vicinity and monitor fire behavior and weather.
The "22" Wildland Fire Use Fire will be managed as a natural part of the ecosystem in a defined area as long as it continues to provide positive effects to the forest.
Closures: There are no closures associated with the "22" Wildland Fire Use Fire.
