Forest Service to close Coronado National Forest June 9

Tradster wrote:I spoke with rangers in the Coconino NF and while there are no immediate plans to close that forest over the 4th July holiday, the ranger stated that any thing can happen. If the FS has any more non-compliance issues with dipshit, f*ckheads having camp fires, then they should just close everything down until the state receives significant rainfall. I really hate people who violate fire restrictions. I've put out at least three or four unattended campfires in the last five years. Once, during fire restrictions a jerk wouldn't put out his campfire at Paradise Forks (non-climber) while there were heavy fire restrictions. We asked him very politely when we spoke to him initially. The meadow (now closed to camping) was tinder dry with knee high grass all around and a nice stiff 25 mph wind constantly gusting. He said I'll do whatever I want. Well, there must have been 20 or more climbers who stood around with concerned looks on their faces but doing absolutely nothing to extinguish this guy's fire. I mean 20 climbers hemming & hawing but couldn't deal with just one guy...pathetic. My buddy and I put the fire out with three gallons of water because I came back down with a .357 hidden behind my back. I showed it to him and told him not to move and that we were putting his f*cking fire out whether he liked it or not. We told him to pack up his shit and take his family and get out of the area. I told his wife and kids that he didn't give a shit about nature and whether he burnt down the whole forest. He threatened to report me for showing the piece and I said go ahead, as we'll tell the authorities about his fire. I really wanted to shoot him and told him that much. I've seen too many fires here caused by assholes leaving fires unattended or violating fire restrictions: Four Peaks (120,00 acres); Mt Lemmon (100,00+ acres); Rodeo-Chediski (460,000+ acres); now the Wallow fire which will be the largest fire in AZ state history. All of these fires were caused by dipshits all violating fire restrictions. I wouldn't be surprised if this fire goes to over 600,000 acres. You all can bitch and curse me for being extreme that day, but I'd rather see some dumb puke dead or beat to a pulp that can't abide by fire restrictions than see a quarter million acres burn up. If you see some one violating fire restrictions, please try to educate them. If they refuse and continue, then, in my opinion, put the fire out asap and then beat the f*cking shit out of them. F*ck being PC on this subject.

Fighting fire with some fire, nice.

BTW, we could see the smoke from the Wallow last friday from Top Of the World (you may be able to see if from Queen Creek on a clear day). Oak Flats almost burned down about 2 weeks ago or so, on Saturday a car overheated, pulled off on the west side of Devils Canyon on 60 and started the grass on fire. Luckily a bunch of people put it out before the fire dept came.

Thanks for the link Albert; very informative and interesting story so far (listening to it now).

My girlfriend and i were talking up on the roof yesterday while watching that new fire down in Mexico and started wondering. Would we (US) consider intervening to help across an international border if a fire down there was threatening to come this way?

Red wrote: This is the biggest reason why living in the middle of the state is so nice. Flag, Winslow/Jacks, top of Lemmon; all about the same drive. Hopefully "significant moisture" is upon us soon!

Oh sure Lucas try and rub it in. I will drive the extra hours rather than live in PHX. Ha Ha Besides we are going to build a fountain and a pool at the homestead! We will see you in the shade at the stead.

And yet the State has legalized fireworks but has yet to ban the sale of them this year! Nothing I like more than July 4th revelers sending flaming missles skyward in a year like this.

1Eric Rhicard wrote:And yet the State has legalized fireworks but has yet to ban the sale of them this year! Nothing I like more than July 4th revelers sending flaming missles skyward in a year like this.

Yeah, Eric, good point. I could never figure that one out. Totally stupid.

Daryl, we (the U.S.) was fighting fires in Mexico south of Texas a couple months back. Currently the Murphy Fire (near Nogales) is burning in Mexico and our helitankers are flying down there as I type. The Coronado has an agreement that we can go up to ten miles south of the the border.

If your bored and in town, swing by the Sierra Vista municipal airport and I can give you a tour of the helitankers (all Sikorsky). Kind of nerdy, but if you are impressed by large helicopters this is a good spot to check out right now.

Couldn't believe seeing fireworks being sold in Safeway - here where the fuels have an almost 100% chance of ignition.

1Eric Rhicard wrote: Oh sure Lucas try and rub it in. I will drive the extra hours rather than live in PHX. Ha Ha Besides we are going to build a fountain and a pool at the homestead! We will see you in the shade at the stead.

I had to rub it in a little. It's not like Lemmon is closed every summer... I hope this does NOT start a trend!!!
Nice, low 90's at the Stead. Still in season! kind of. I look forward to seeing this pool!

I had no idea you worked right next door to me. I'll be taking you up on that offer for sure!

Talked to Forest Service people in Sabino Canyon and they confirmed Milagrosa is within the CNF and closed.

What about the areas of sweetrock and trad rock at cochise? Would they be considered off limits.. sorry if it is a stupid question just trying to find waves, I mean rocks, to climb...Milagrosa is 500$ fine..

Sorry Derek; that would be part of the Coronado NF. Here's a map to help identify what is closed.

Here's a pdf document with closure details:
fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/docum…

And here is the closure posting on the USFS site:
fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/

Does anybody know what's closed around flagstaff?

I don't think anything is closed up north. yet...

IT'S RAINING IN SIERRA VISTA!!!!!! Big FAT rain too!!!

Daryl, that is great news!! It is actually overcast here in Phoenix. As soon as my new roof is on the home, let it rain up here. Pray for rain, dance for rain, just let it rain!!!

It poured in Tucson last night! Woohoo!

Rained for about a solid hour in Tucson, maybe the Lemmon will be open soon.

HERE IS A SOBERING ARTICLE BY TOM BEAL FROM THE ARIZONA DAILY STAR [JULY 1, 2011]

Recreation areas in the Coronado National Forest won't be reopening any time soon, and some campgrounds, roads and trails could be closed for a year or more after expected damage from flooding and debris flows on the 360,000 acres of forest burned in Southern Arizona this year.

Coronado Forest Supervisor Jim Upchurch said at a news conference Thursday that the agency fielded numerous calls Monday about the possibility of ending forest closures now that the rain has arrived.

Upchurch said the rain, while welcome, wasn't enough. "It hasn't significantly changed the fuels condition at this point, particularly the big trees."

"Fuels" - the grasses, trees and shrubs in the forest - remain at historically low moisture levels. Across the Coronado, grasses retain less than 2 percent moisture and the shrubs and trees less than 5 percent.

Any improvement from rains that fell overnight Wednesday will quickly evaporate in the high temperatures predicted for the next few days, said Ken Drozd, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Tucson.

Upchurch said the closure of the entire 1.78 million acres of Sky Island forests in the Coronado has kept the number of fire starts down.

The monsoon, while bringing welcome rain, now brings a new ignition source in the form of lightning, he said.

And it brings a flood threat, he said, especially in areas near the Chiricahua and Huachuca mountains where fires still burn, though the Horseshoe 2 Fire is now contained and the Monument Fire is nearing containment.

Soil is already moving on those watersheds, said Marc Stamer, co-leader of the Burned Area Emergency Response team that has just completed assessments of the two fires.

Heavier rains could bring the kind of debris flows that send a cement-like slurry of soil and ash downstream, carrying boulders that can be as large as an automobile, Stamer said.

Not all of the acreage burned this year will have the same flood risk, he said.

The team's report on the 68,078-acre Murphy Fire west of Tubac showed that only 3 percent of the soil there burned severely enough to reject moisture.

On the 222,954-acre Horseshoe 2 Fire, 12 percent of the soil is in that severe category. Analysis of the more recent 30,526-acre Monument Fire outside Sierra Vista is not completed.

Upchurch said some emergency preparation for flooding is already done. "We recognize we need to get in there quickly," he said.

Other work will have longer-term benefits, he said.

Nothing can really prevent the initial erosion that follows a fire, said Stamer and Upchurch.

That could leave some areas of the forest closed "for a year or longer until that threat of soil movement has been reduced," Upchurch said.

In the meantime, Upchurch urged Southern Arizonans to cooperate with the closure order.

"We've had some infractions," Upchurch said. "People stopping on the road to Mount Lemmon, some fireworks use, some smoking."

Fire risk is still high, Upchurch said. "We closed the forest to all users on June 9 and will continue until we get significant moisture to reduce the threat," he said.

Read more: azstarnet.com/news/local/wi…

Hell yes!

fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/docum…

Chris Horton wrote:Hell yes! fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/docum…

+10^10^10