Blaze near Boulder ravages 3,500 acres, firefighters homes
Grand Canyon National Park helicopter searching for campers in Hobble Fire vicinity
07 September 2010
published by www.examiner.com
USA — The Grand Canyon National Park helicopter assisted fire crews on the ground by flying over the Hobble Fire area and locating campers in the vicinity. The wildfire continues burning in the Hobble Mountains 12 miles south of Valle, AZ. Valle is located 35 miles south of Grand Canyon National Park’s south entrance.
Skies at the national park remain clear of smoke although smoke may be visible from Williams, AZ , Spring Valley, AZ and Highways 64 and 180.
The lightning-caused fire is approximately 947 acres and moving at a moderate pace to the north and east.
Officials have designated a 58,000-acre area where the fire will be managed for resource objectives over the coming weeks. Objectives include:
- protecting wildlife habitat
- returning fire to a fire-adapted ecosystem, and
- reducing hazardous fuel accumulation.
Today (Labor Day 2010) fire crews held the fire and scouted for future management actions that may be needed to maintain the fire within the defined boundary. An increase in fire activity today consisted of 12-16″ flame lengths and isolated torching in the pinon-juniper landscape.
Weather forecast shows dry and breezy conditions continuing for the next few days. Fire crews expect increased fire activity under this current weather pattern. Labor Day travel from theGrand Canyon National Park should remain unobstructed by the fire efforts.
The lnature-caused Hobble Fire was detected on August 30, 2010, 18 miles northeast of Williams, AZ.
