Crews Respond to a 15 Acre Wildfire near Sherwood Forest Estates
WILLIAMS, Ariz., April 7, 2020 – Fire crews from the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest, Sherwood Forest Estates, and Parks Bellemont Fire Departments responded to a wildfire late Tuesday afternoon south of Interstate 40 near the neighborhood of Sherwood Forest Estates east of Williams.
The Beacon Fire was discovered about 3:00 pm on Tuesday April 7, and was burning in grass and ponderosa pine. Several Local residents reacted quickly with tools and equipment to help slow the spread of the fire as responding units arrived on the scene. The fire was contained just after 5:00 pm at 15.6 acres in size. The fire burned on both private and National Forest land. The cause of the fire is unknown and is under investigation at this time.
Additional Information can be found from the following sources:
The Sherwood Forest Estates Fire District is announcing an employment opportunity for a Fire Chief to lead our volunteer fire district. Interested candidates may find application and further information at Sherwoodforestestatesfiredistrict.com. Applications will be accepted until February 29, 2020. Hiring interviews are set for the period of March 16 to March 27, 2020. Appointment is scheduled for April 1, 2020.
How and where do I turn the application in?
· You may send it via US Mail to – Pam Weir SFEFD Fire Board Secretary 877 S Appaloosa Trail Williams, AZ 86046
· Hand deliver it to any Fire Board member.
When is the last day to submit an application? – February 29, 2020
What’s is the position’s pay and benefits? $2,000 month, take home Fire Chief’s vehicle, cellular phone expenses, disability insurance, FD Credit Card for defined expenses, on-going AFDA professional training.
What is the selection process? – The SFEFD Fire Board reserves the right to screen applications to determine who shall advance to the interview process on the basis of the qualifications, experience, and training as outlined in the submitted application. The Fire Board may waive certain requirements as based on the candidate’s similar but comparable experience and training. The interviews will be conducted by the SFEFD Fire Board and set for the period of March 16 to March 27, 2020. The exact date will be determined by the availability of all applicants and the Fire Board to meet.
Pile Burns Producing Visible Smoke Around Greater Williams Area This Week
WILLIAMS, Ariz., Jan. 15, 2020 – Pile burning activity is occurring at multiple locations to the south and east of the City of Williams producing smoke that will be visible from various outlying locations around the greater Williams area. Burning is expected to continue through the remainder of this week as conditions allow.
Above average moisture levels accompanied by snow has presented model opportunities for crews on the Kaibab National Forest to continue implementing this type of fuels reduction work. Pile burns typically occur during the winter months when forest debris can be consumed safely with little to no control problems. This method is especially effective in steeper more difficult terrain when snow limits the potential for unwanted fire spread on the ground.
Crews will move between three locations this week from Garland Prairie to Bill Williams Mountain which will help minimize smoke impacts to specific areas and allow for quicker dispersion. Overnight ventilation is usually excellent with no residual smoke lingering by the following day. Piles typically burn rapidly and produce far less smoke for shorter durations than larger broadcast burns over the landscape.
The overall duration of these burns is influenced by diurnal weather conditions which determine the best days to burn effectively. Air quality will be monitored closely and actions will be taken as necessary to minimize the effects on adjacent residential areas.
All prescribed burns are subject to approval from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. Members of the public may view approved prescribed burns for any given day on the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s website at smoke.azdeq.gov/
Date: December 11, 2019 To: ALL MEMBERS of the SFEFD From: Fire Board Subject: Interim Fire Chief / Transition of Command
The Board of Directors of the Sherwood Forest Fire District has officially accepted
the retirement of Wayne Marx as our Fire Chief effective June 30, 2020. A formal
Transfer of Command ceremony will be performed at that time.
Additionally a public recognition and celebration of Wayne’s lengthy service period
to our department and the community will be held.
To facilitate the command transition the Fire Board shall appoint an Interim Fire
Chief in the near future. It is the duty and responsibility of all members of the
SFEFD to ensure the Fire District maintains an effective fire, rescue, and EMS
capability during this command transition period. The residents of our Fire District
and the tax payers deserve no less. Therefore to facilitate a professional transfer of
leadership you are directed to work with, assist, and fully cooperate with the
Interim Fire Chief throughout this period.
Your individual supportive efforts during this period will not only enable ongoing
improvements to our Fire Department but will serve as a public example of your
personal professionalism, dedication to the fire service, and commitment to those
residents of the communities we serve.
Signed,
Bruce Speirs, Chairman Susan Hamilton, Secretary / Treasurer
Sherwood Forest Estates Fire District 450 Little John Road, Williams, AZ 86046-8579 Phone: (928)635-9837 Fax:(928)635-9618 Email: sherwoodfire@qwestoffice.net
To the Property Owners of the Sherwood
Forest Estates Fire District,
We are
writing to advise you of an error earlier this spring when the Sherwood Forest
Estates Fire District (SFEFD) set the Fire District’s Fiscal Year (FY) funding
request to Coconino County for this year’s upcoming property tax billing
cycle. This error has affected every property
in both the Mountain Rose Ranch Estates and the Sherwood Forest Estates
subdivisions to varying degrees. In
admittedly vary basic terms your tax contribution to the SFEFD for this fiscal
year, which comprises only about 30% of your total property tax bill, was
increased by about 18 cents on the dollar.
The
SFEFD funding request error increased the tax mill rate from our historical 2.88
to 3.25 which resulted in an approximate overage of $17,000 in total revenues collected.
Please note that this most inadvertent
error only impacted the annual tax revenue contribution as generated by this
specific fire district fund, identified on your tax billing as Jurisdiction
11249 FD SHERWOOD FOREST EST.
To
correct this error the Fire Board directed the Fire Chief to freeze $17,000 out
of this FY’s budget. Next, to provide the
corrective reduction (the ‘pay back’ for the overage you paid), the Fire
Department’s budget request for next FY’s will be based at the 2.88 mill rate AND
the funding request will be further reduced by $17,000. Finally the $17,000 now frozen will rollover
to backfill next FY’s funding reduction/corrective action, thereby leveling out
the budget. Once again the funding of
our SFEFD’s vital public safety missions will be determined and guided by our
self-imposed 2.88 mill rate limitation. This
action will return balance to our historical budgeting requests as generally
practical and barring unforeseen significant or unusual circumstances.
Please
note that the SFEFD remains as one of the very few fire districts historically
charging less than the maximum tax rate permitted by law.
Williams Ranger District to Begin Elk / Lee Prescribed Fire Project
Williams, Ariz., Oct 18, 2019—For Immediate Release. A new prescribed fire project is set to begin next week on the Williams Ranger District and will likely progress into the months ahead as opportunities arise to use fire for beneficial restoration treatments on this piece of the Kaibab National Forest. The Elk Lee Prescribed Fire project is located about 10 miles southeast of the City of Williams and is 8166 acres in size. The project will be broken up into smaller units for daily operations to minimize heavy smoke impacts and allow ventilation to move smoke out of the vicinity more rapidly. The specific units to be ignited will be chosen based on fuel moistures and weather conditions that are within prescriptive levels that meet fuels reduction objectives. A Helicopter will be utilized to conduct aerial Ignitions which will accelerate the overall length of time the project will last, and will also reduce the number of days smoke may linger in the atmosphere.
Officials understand that impacts to air quality may be unpleasant at times, however they can significantly reduce the amount and limit the duration of smoke more effectively using prescribed methods as opposed to an uncontrolled wildfire situation. To learn more about smoke and public health, visit bit.ly/SmokeHealthAwareness.
The Kaibab National Forest is part of a fire-dependent ecosystem. Fire on the landscape is critical to overall ecosystem functioning and the sustainability of local communities, watersheds and wildlife habitat. Managers use prescribed fire as a practical means to reduce risks associated with uncharacteristic wildfires that can pose significant threats to public health and safety.
During operations, fire personnel and vehicles will be visible to the public. Motorists are reminded to slow down and drive with heightened caution when passing through active project areas. Hunters and campers are encouraged to seek alternative campsites away from the active fire vicinity while operations are occurring.
All prescribed burning on the Kaibab National Forest is subject to approval by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. (ADEQ) To view approved prescribed burns for any given day on the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s website go to: smoke.azdeq.gov/
Notifications of upcoming prescribed fire projects are provided regularly by news releases throughout the year and through the following sources:
Helicopter Logging Begins on Bill Williams Mountain Restoration Project,Temporary Public Safety Area Closure Implemented
WILLIAMS, Ariz., Oct. 21, 2019 - The first stage of the 300 acre steep slope fuels reduction efforts on the Bill Williams Mountain Restoration Project is underway on the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest. A helicopter will begin the technical work of hauling material off the mountain from the elevated areas that are inaccessible by ground or other conventional methods.
Sawyers from Markit! Forestry Management have been on the mountainside cutting and bundling woody material in preparation for the removal of hazardous fuels from the most difficult terrain on the highest slopes of the mountain. A long cable suspended below the helicopter is attached to the bundled material which is then flown to a lower site where processing and loading will take place before the material is eventually transported off the mountain by trucks. There will be a noticeable increase in traffic within city limits as hauling vehicles begin transporting material out of Williams.
Helicopters will be noticeable to residents and businesses in and around the City of Williams both audibly and visually. Aerial logging will be occurring seven days a week during daylight hours providing weather conditions are conducive for safe operations.
Due to the hazardous nature of the technical work involving aircraft, a Temporary Area Closure Order (http://bit.ly/BillWmMtn-TempClosure) has been put in effect on a portion of Bill Williams Mountain. Forest users and members of the public are asked to avoid travelling through or entering into the closure area until the order is rescinded. Specific information about trails, roads and areas within the closure can be found by going to the link above.
Project managers are hopeful to complete this first stage of fuels removal by late December of this year. There are approximately 900 additional acres on the steep slopes that will be targeted for treatment as the next phases of this project move forward.
Officials from the National Forest Foundation (NFF), Coconino County, and the Kaibab National Forest have been working together to implement the restoration project. The NFF brought together funds from multiple contributors that include $1,800,000 from the Kaibab National Forest, $800,000 from Coconino County, private funds from the Sperling Foundation, and a state grant from the Arizona Department of Water Resources to provide better protection and long term sustainability of critical resources that are vital to the City of Williams.
Additional Information can be found at the following sources:
Williams, Ariz., August 24, 2019—For Immediate Release. The 4039 acre Boulin Fire on the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest has exhibited no additional growth and is not expected to increase in size. This lightning caused fire was very successful in meeting the overall intent to reintroduce fire back into the ponderosa pine landscape for the purpose of restoring forest health, and ensuring long term sustainability.
With public and firefighter safety being the number one objective, Incident Commander Tyler Richwine was pleased to report there were no accidents or injuries, and there were no losses or damage to any resources or private property throughout the duration of this 18 day incident.
BOULIN FIRE OVERVIEW
Start Date: August 5, 2019.
Cause: Lightning.
Location: East of Spring Valley near The Beale Wagon Trail and forest roads 141, 713, and 730.
Current Size: 4039 acres.
Containment: 75%
Incident Commander: Tyler Richwine ICT4T.
Resources: One – Type 3 Engine, one-Patrol unit, and four-Miscellaneous overhead. Total personnel assigned is 10.
Current Status: The Boulin fire has reached its maximumgrowth potential at 4039 acres. There has been no movement on the perimeter and officials predict no additional acres will burn.
Firefighters will remain on scene for several more days as the burn area cools to ensure containment lines hold and to mitigate any hazards that may still exist. This will be the final update on the Boulin Fire unless conditions change.
Smoke: Some smoke may linger as fuels within the interior continue to consume however good ventilation will occur throughout the day with very little residual impacts to the surrounding area.
Bob Blasi Fire Information Officer
USDA Forest ServiceKaibab National Forest – Williams / Tusayan Ranger Districts
Williams, Ariz., August 21, 2019—For Immediate Release. Among the many benefits of allowing fire to move naturally on the landscape, the protection of cultural and historic sites remains one of the top priority objectives when managing wildfires. The Boulin Fire is no exception, and Kaibab National Forest archeologists were quick to engage taking actions to protect these sites which included two historic cabins located within the footprint of this fire.
“We know these cabins are vulnerable to deterioration being well over a century old” said Archeologist, Neil Weintraub. “Fire, like many forces of nature that can be destructive, can also be very helpful to use for their protection. With people in place, we can allow low intensity fire to consume accumulations of burnable debris that build up around these sensitive sites, removing the threat, and ultimately preserving our local history for the public to enjoy for generations to come”.
BOULIN FIRE OVERVIEW
Start Date: August 5, 2019.
Cause: Lightning.
Location: East of Spring Valley near The Beale Wagon Trail and forest roads 141, 713, and 730.
Current Size: 3784 acres.
Containment: 50%
Incident Commander: Nick Behrends ICT4 / Tyler Richwine ICT4T.
Resources: One-Type 2 Hand crew, one- Fuels crew, two-Type 6 Engines, two-Type 3 Engines, one-Patrol unit, one-Dozer, and eight- Miscellaneous overhead. Total personnel assigned is 50.
Current Status: The Boulin Fire is now 50% contained and nearing completion.Managers are expecting the fire to reach its full potential for growth at 4200 acres within the next two operational periods.
Heavy equipment traffic and residual smoke remain present at the fire site. Drivers in the area are reminded to be aware that personnel will be on scene for several days ensuring containment lines hold and to begin mop up and rehabilitation work.
Smoke: Smoke will continue to be visible from communities surrounding this incident however a rapid decrease in production and volume can now be expected as the fire reaches its full potential with no further growth anticipated. For information about air quality and health awareness visit bit.ly/SmokeHealthAwareness
Additional information about the Boulin Fire, and the Kaibab National Forest can be obtained through the following sources:
· Fire Information Recorded Phone line: 928-635-8311
Firefighters Protecting Historic Cabin Foundation
Bob Blasi Fire Information Officer • USDA Forest Service • Kaibab National Forest – Williams / Tusayan Ranger Districts p: 928-635-5653 c: 928-606-7491 f: 928-635-5690 bob.blasi@usda.gov 742 S Clover Rd Williams, AZ 86046 www.fs.fed.us Caring for the land and serving people
Williams, Ariz., August 18, 2019—For Immediate Release. Fire is steadily moving across the forested landscape within the Boulin Fire planning area achieving incident objectives. The results have been effective in reducing accumulations of burnable debris and fuels from the forest floor, protecting valued resources at risk, and strengthening defensible space near residential communities.
BOULIN FIRE OVERVIEW
Start Date: August 5, 2019.
Cause: Lightning.
Location: East of Spring Valley near The Beale Wagon Trail and forest roads 141, 713, and 730.
Current Size: 2423 acres.
Containment: 20%
Incident Commander: Nick Behrends ICT4 / Tyler Richwine ICT4T.
Resources: One-Type 2 Hand crew, one- Fuels crew, two-Type 6 Engines, two-Type 3 Engines, one-Patrol unit, one-Dozer, and eight- Miscellaneous overhead. Total personnel assigned is 50.
Current Status: The 2423 acre Boulin Fire has been expanding an average of about 400 acres per day. Fire has now carried through over half of the planning area and is moving toward the southwest containment line. The consistent warm dry weather that has been over the area for the past 10 days is forecasted to continue which will likely align with the pattern of growth that has been occurring this week.
Road maintenance will be ongoing on several roads at the fire location. Increased traffic activity will be noticeable in the vicinity. Graders and large water trucks will be present. Motorists are reminded to use caution and drive with heightened awareness when passing through active fire areas.
Smoke: Smoke will continue to be visible from Highway 64, Highway 180, and many communities Including Williams, Pittman Valley, Garland Prairie, Spring Valley, Parks, Red Lake, Junipine Estates, Pumpkin Center, Bellemont, Fort Valley, and Flagstaff. For information about air quality and health awareness visit bit.ly/SmokeHealthAwareness
Additional information about the Boulin Fire, and the Kaibab National Forest can be obtained through the following sources:
· Fire Information Recorded Phone line: 928-635-8311
Bob Blasi Fire Information OfficerUSDA Forest ServiceKaibab National Forest – Williams / Tusayan Ranger Districtsp: 928-635-5653 c: 928-606-7491 f: 928-635-5690 bob.blasi@usda.gov742 S Clover Rd Williams, AZ 86046 www.fs.fed.us Caring for the land and serving people
