Game Reserve Fire Burning on South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park

Game Reserve Fire Burning on South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park
Date: June 5, 2009
Contact: Shannan Marcak, 928-638-7958

Grand Canyon, Ariz. – On Friday, May 29, 2009, Grand Canyon fire managers received a report of smoke near the junction of Hwy 64 and FR 310 from Kaibab National Forest (KNF) lookout towers. Upon investigation, fire personnel found a small lightning-caused fire, approximately 1/10 acre in size, exhibiting minimal fire activity. With no immediate threat to life, safety or property, fire managers made the decision to place the fire in monitor status and wait to see if it went out on its own or started to grow since growth in all but a northerly direction would have the potential to create resource benefits.

On Thursday, June 4, the fire had grown to five acres; and fire managers made a decision to manage the fire with both protection and resource benefit objectives. On its north side, the fire is being held at the power lines with the objective of keeping fire south of these lines. Based on the observed behavior of the fire, current and expected weather and fuel conditions, and the resource benefits that could be achieved by managing the fire as it burns naturally, fire managers have decided to manage the rest of the Game Reserve fire for resource benefits.

The resource benefits fire managers hope to achieve with the Game Reserve Fire include reducing unnatural fuel accumulations and returning fire to its natural role in a fire-dependent ecosystem. In addition, the Game Reserve Fire is burning within the Hearst Prescribed Burn Unit which was already scheduled for treatment this fall.

The Game Reserve Fire is currently 35 acres in size and is burning in pine and oak litter approximately 1.5 miles northwest of the Grandview Lookout tower (about 9 miles southeast of Grand Canyon Village.) On Thursday and Friday, June 4 and 5, the fire was 75% active with 1 – 2 foot flame lengths. The fire was flanking to the east and backing to the southwest.

Smoke from the Game Reserve Fire is currently visible from Hwy 64 in the general vicinity of Grandview Point. Coordination with theArizona Department of Environmental Qualityis ongoing.

Two additional fires, the Quincey Fire and the Trick Fire, are showing minimal activity at this time and are currently in monitor status. The Trick Fire is located on the South Rim approximately 2 miles west-southwest of the junction of Hwy 64 and the Grandview Point road. This lightning strike fire was spotted May 29, is approximately 1/10 acres in size and is smoldering in pine litter within the Watson Prescribed Burn Unit which was last treated in 2002. The Quincey Fire is on the North Rim and is located northwest of Point Imperial and south of FR 610, about ¼ mile south of the park boundary. The Quincey Fire is approximately 1/10 acre in size and is burning in forest litter and dead and down logs east of the 2000 Outlet Fire.

Updates on these three fires will be provided as significant changes in size, activity, or fire management objectives occur.

For more on the role of fire in Grand Canyon National Park, please visit the park’s fire management page at http://www.nps.gov/grca/parkmgmt/firemanagement.htm. To keep track of current fire activity in the park, please go to http://www.nps.gov/grca/parkmgmt/fire_info.htm.



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