News Release

Ikes Fire Holding Well Within Perimeter

Map showing the Ikes Fire road and trail closures and containment area in relation to the north side of Grand Canyon National Park in its boundary with Kaibab Nat. Forest

News Release Date: August 19, 2019

Contact: NPS Contact: Brandalyn Vonk, 602-730-6144

Contact: USFS Contact: Jacqueline Banks, 928-635-8314

Contact: Ikes Fire Public Information Office, 928-638-7071

Grand Canyon, AZ – Although drier conditions remain, the Ikes Fire is moving at a good pace through the predetermined planned area. The fire is presently backing down drainages and moving along the forest floor at a low to moderate intensity through accumulations of dead vegetation and overgrowth.
 
Yesterday, crews continued to patrol and hold the northern boundary and improve line. Firefighters on the southern boundary lit debris piles constructed in the early phases of line preparation. This tactic deprives the fire of excess fuel as it spreads to the west. 

Today firefighters will proceed along the southern boundary to utilize hand ignitions to remove fuels ahead of the advancing fire and create a buffer. Fire managers will assess conditions throughout the day in order to determine if additional aerial ignitions will be utilized. Crews will patrol and hold line along the northern and eastern boundaries.

Currently there are 93 resources assigned and the Ikes Fire has spread across approximately 4,839 acres within the 7,738-acre planning area. 
Fire is a jolt to living systems, the beginning of a new state of life on the land which is part of a cycle that has been in place for thousands of years. The current behavior displayed on the Ikes Fire is part of a naturally occurring wildfire, causing dead or decaying matter to burn and return nutrients to the soil.  This infusion of nutrients promotes healthy growth for both new and established vegetation.

The predicted weather for tomorrow will put temperatures in the low to mid-80s with no chance of precipitation. Light and variable winds out of the southwest will be 2-4 mph with gusts up to 14 mph after 10:00 AM. Smoke from the Ikes Fire, along with other fires in the area, will be visible throughout the surrounding area. For local air quality and related information, please visit the following websites: https://www.airnow.gov or the Smoke Management Division of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.

Closures remain in effect for Grand Canyon National Park and Kaibab National Forest. More information on closures can be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/closures/6475/.

The Ikes Fire poses no danger to structures or local infrastructure.

Please visit https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/management/firemanagement.htm for additional information about wildland fire at Grand Canyon National Park or call 928-638-7819 for recorded fire information. For additional information about the Ikes Fire, visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6475/.

For fire information on the Kaibab National Forest, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab  or @KaibabNF on Facebook and Twitter or call [phone] for recorded fire information.