Fire Personnel Continue to Manage The Castle Fire on The North Kaibab
Incident: Castle Fire Wildfire
Released: 6/22/2009
Fire personnel continue to manage the Castle Fire on the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest. Higher winds and warmer temperatures over the weekend helped the fire, which was discovered June 15, grow to 110 acres. The Castle Fire is located just southeast of Big Springs in the Castle Canyon area. As it burns through the forest understory and accumulations of forest debris, it is helping to reestablish the ecological role of fire, promote forest health, and reduce the future risk of large, destructive wildfires. According to Dave Robinson, assistant fire management officer for fuels for the North Kaibab Ranger District and the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, the Castle Fire will likely continue to grow more rapidly over the next couple of days due to warmer, drier and windier conditions. Robinson added that smoke is and will continue to be visible from Highway 67 and Fredonia. To prepare for the Castle Fire's growth, fire crews have been burning fuels along forest roads in order to limit progression in certain directions. Forest Road 769 serves as the northern and eastern boundary of the area in which the fire will be managed. Forest Road 454 serves as the southern boundary. Fire crews have been burning fuels along these roads as needed to keep up with the interior fire growth and spread. "Fire behavior remains favorable, and resource objectives are being met," Robinson said. He added that the fire will continue to be managed as long as that remains the case or until the fire has reached predetermined boundaries. For additional information on the Castle Fire, please contact Jackie Banks at (928) 635-8314.
