Wallow Fire – Improved Weather
There has been much better weather today, and the outlook for the next few days is good, but long-term the National Weather Service is warning about the real possibility of flooding when the rains return. People need to take the warnings seriously, and get flood insurance now. With the loss of vegetation on the hillsides, the water from even a moderate storm will cause flooding.
They are still fighting the spread into New Mexico, but the helicopters have been able to help in the lighter winds.
Information from the current Wallow Fire InciWeb Page
- Date Started: 5/29/2011
- Location: Apache, Navajo, Graham, and Greenlee Counties, San Carlos and White Mountain Apache Reservations, Arizona; Catron County, New Mexico
- Cause: Human – under investigation
- Size: 519,319 acres [811 miles² 2102 km²] based on infrared data
- Percent Contained: 51%
- Injuries to Date: 12
- Residences: 2,714 threatened; 32 destroyed; 5 damaged
- Commercial Property: 473 threatened; 4 destroyed
- Outbuildings: 1,216 threatened; 36 destroyed; 1 damaged
- Other: 1 truck destroyed
- Number of Personnel: Approximately 3,594 including 15 hotshot crews and 56 hand crews
- Equipment: 21 dozers, 196 engines, 72 watertenders
- Aircraft: 15 helicopters, 5 air tankers
- Incident Commander: Jim Loach, Area Command Team 3
Sunrise Resort is open to the Public today
Greer Evacuation is being lifted at 11:00 a.m. However, residents are required by the Apache County Sheriff, to go to the Round Valley High School Dome at 11:00 A.M. to receive a pass to return to Greer. Evacuees must have valid identification verifying residency in order to receive a pass.
Fire spread today is expected to be toward the east and along the Blue River. With slower wind speeds, fire spread and reduced spotting distances are anticipated. North and west of Luna, crews continue to work to direct the fire away from the TEC power line and keep it west of Forest Road (FR) 19. A portion of the Wallow Fire is east of FR 19 at around 75-100 acres. Firefighters have a dozer line around it, and worked last night to put in a hose lay and mop-up. Air support has started early again today. In N.M., the fire has crossed Trout Creek and is moving toward Bishop Canyon. Crews will be working to limit its spread.
Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team members will be in the fire area today evaluating damage and beginning the planning process for mitigation. They will be checking the degree of burn damage to the soil and vegetation.
In the south, the fire is holding in the Steeple Creek area along the Blue River. Fire is expected to back in a southerly direction toward containment lines. Crews have completed construction of control lines on the south end of the fire between McBride Canyon and Highway 191. Burnout operations have begun north of this line and will continue as conditions allow. Crews will attempt to contain the fire west of FR 281 and east of FR 191.
Firefighters are continuing mop-up and fireline repair activities along the west and north flanks of the fire. This includes the use of chippers to reduce the smaller trees and branches that were removed when containment lines were built. Minimal fire activity was observed in the north with only isolated single and group tree torching and short runs in interior islands.
Navopache Electric Cooperative crews are working on lines to restore consistent power to Alpine and Nutrioso. Currently, power is being provided by generators. Residents are urged to be conservative with their use of electricity. Please be advised that there will be intermittent power outages in Nutrioso and Alpine.
Today, winds will be west-northwest between 11-14 mph with gusts to 22 mph. Temperatures will be cooler, high near 76, with relative humidity 8-9 percent.
[For the latest information click on the Fire symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Fires” for all of the posts related to wildfires on this site.]
