Update: North Rim Fires, August 12, 2011

Date: August 12, 2011
Contact: Shannan Marcak, 928-638-7958

Grand Canyon, Arizona-The Point Fire experienced moderate low-intensity growth this week due to a warmer and dryer weather trend with occasional cloud cover. The Tipover Fire, discovered August 3, also experienced minimal low-intensity growth. A third fire, the Over Fire, was discovered August 9, approximately one half mile south of the Tipover Fire. Minimal fire growth was observed on the Over Fire this week. All three fires are now being managed by a single Type 3 incident management organization.

The Point, Tipover and Over fires were naturally ignited by lightning and are being managed for multiple objectives, including returning fire to fire-dependent ecosystem and reducing hazardous accumulations of forest fuels in a low intensity fashion that minimizes fire severity. All three fires are staffed with fire managers monitoring fire effects and growth potential. The weather predictions are for a continued drying and warming trend for the next several days with a chance of scattered thunderstorms. With this weather pattern, additional fire growth is anticipated.

Point Fire Facts:

Start Date:  July 4, 2011

Location:  Approximately 10 miles west of the North Rim developed area in the vicinity of Walla Valley and Point Sublime. The North Rim sits an elevation of approximately 8,000 feet above sea level.

Size:   1,490 acres

Fuels:  Ponderosa Pine with occasional patches of mixed conifer

Management Objectives: The Point Fire is being managed to achieve multiple objectives.

• Resource objectives for the fire include maintaining fire in a fire-adapted ecosystem, reducing hazardous accumulations of forest fuels and recycling of forest nutrients.
• Protection objectives for the fire include protection of sensitive cultural resources and critical wildlife habitat areas.
 

 
Closures:  In order to assure firefighter and visitor safety, the Point Sublime Road (also known as the W4 Road) is closed until further notice from its junction with the W1 Road, out to and including Point Sublime.

Smoke Impacts: During periods of increased fire activity, smoke from the Point Fire is visible from US Highway 64 as far south as Valle, South Rim viewpoints, the Rim Trail, US Highway 67, the North Rim entrance station and some North Rim viewpoints. Coordination with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality is ongoing.

Tipover Fire Facts:

Start Date:  August 3, 2011

Location:  Approximately 6 miles north of the Point Fire, 5 miles west of Highway 67 and 10 miles northwest of the North rim developed area. The North Rim sits at an elevation of approximately 8,000 feet.

Size:   10.5 acres

Fuels:  Ponderosa Pine and mixed conifer

Management objectives: The Tipover Fire is being managed for multiple objectives.

• Resource objectives for the fire include maintaining fire in a fire-adapted ecosystem, reducing hazardous accumulations of forest fuels and recycling of forest nutrients.
• Protection objectives for the fire include protection of sensitive cultural resources and protection of critical wildlife habitat areas.

Closures:  There are no closures related to the Tipover Fire

Smoke:  Smoke from the Tipover Fire is currently visible from Highway 67.

Over Fire Facts:

Start Date:  August 9, 2011

Location:  Approximately one half mile south of the Tipover Fire

Size:   2 acres

Fuels:  Ponderosa Pine and mixed conifer

Management objectives: The Tipover Fire is being managed for multiple objectives.

• Resource objectives for the fire include maintaining fire in a fire-adapted ecosystem, reducing hazardous accumulations of forest fuels and recycling of forest nutrients.
• Protection objectives for the fire include protection of sensitive cultural resources and protection of critical wildlife habitat areas.

Closures:  There are no closures related to the Over Fire

Smoke:  Smoke from the Over Fire is currently visible from Highway 67.

Fires on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park and on the North Kaibab Ranger District of Kaibab National Forest are jointly managed by an interagency organization known as the North Zone Fire Management Program. The Type 3 incident management team is currently managing these fires on behalf of that program.

You can follow the progress of all three fires as well view maps and pictures of the fires on
InciWeb at http://inciweb.org/incident/2408/. For more on the North Zone Fire Management
Program, please the park’s web site at https://www.nps.gov//parkmgmt/firemanagement.htm