Coronado NF Fire Closures

imported
#1

From the Coronado NF website- Passages 1-6 and 9-12 are affected by the closures:

Tucson, AZ (June 6, 2011) – Due to extreme fire danger and concern for public safety,
the Coronado National Forest will be closed to all public use beginning at noon on
Thursday, June 9 (36 CFR 261.52[e]).
The temporary closure applies to all ranger districts of the Coronado National Forest, and
includes visitor centers, campgrounds, picnic areas, trails, summer cabins, organization
camps and all other public uses. District Rangers may authorize use for specifically
permitted activities through Special-Use Permits. Violation of the closure is punishable
by a fine of not more than $5,000, or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both.
On the Santa Catalina Ranger District, the Catalina Highway (Mt. Lemmon Highway)
will remain open during daylight hours so visitors may access Summerhaven atop Mt.
Lemmon. Vehicles may not stop along the highway, and must use it strictly to access
Summerhaven. The road will be closed at night.
This closure will be lifted when significant moisture is received to reduce the wildfire
threat to manageable levels.

Sirena

#2

Count Passages 7 and 8 as off-limits as well.

Due to extreme fire danger and concern for public safety, Pima County will close trails and trailheads that allow access to the Coronado National Forest and Rincon District of Saguaro National Park starting Thursday, June 9, the county said in a news release this afternoon.

Both the Coronado National Forest and the Rincon District will be closed to public entry on the same date.

Areas affected:

Cienega Creek Nature Preserve

Empirita Ranch

Colossal Cave Road

Colossal Cave Mountain Park Arizona Trail Access

Davidson Canyon Cienega Creek

Permits for Cienega Creek Nature Preserve and Empirita Ranch will not be issued until the Coronado National Forest closure is lifted.

The county will lock county-controlled parking areas and install barriers across trails where vehicle access cannot be controlled. The U.S. Forest Service will also place closure barricades at the Coronado National Forest boundary on the same trails on Thursday.

Let’s all hope for an early and strong monsoon season!

Sirena

#3

Anyone know the extent to which the Monument Fire is currently burning along the AZT in the Huachucas? Looks like someone didn’t get the notice re: closure orders. Whoever could it be???

blisterfree

#4

It’s just awful. It started near the border (south end of the Huachucas), and has moved over the range to at least Miller Canyon. They are hoping to stop it at Ramsey Canyon. Thousands of acres have burned. The county of Cochise and the City of Sierra Vista is in a state of emergency (and indeed the county has just petitioned the governor to declare a state of emergency, which she said she would support).

Many homes have been lost, and nearly 3000 homes have been evacuated. Fortunately, no lives have been lost. Many separate fires keep popping up in the area, compounding the problems.

It’s probably going to be some time before many of the trails open up. On a positive note (if there is one) it does seem to be mostly on the east side of the range, so they will probably have the AzT opened by fall or at least next Thru-hiking season (but whether one will be able to get to the Pass from the east side remains to be seen). I’m not looking to the rest of the hiking trails being opened any time in the near future. Aside from the closures before the fires even started, now there’s just a big mess up there. :frowning:

Honestly, this is just awful. I work in the public library and it’s so bad, as of tomorrow I’m on special duty to help with the impact to the community. You know it’s bad when they send Librarians to help with disaster control!

debrac

#5

Ugh. We’re all feeling your pain, to be sure. Any sense as to whether the forest is mostly crowning or burning low?

Here’s a positive thought: Because of these fires, I predict that the Rosemont mine proposal is now doomed. I just can’t see the agencies standing together against local sentiments at this time when so much public land is being lost to fire and extreme drought makes the hugely water consumptive nature of copper mining obviously inappropriate. A decision is due by the end of the year, with a comment period beforehand. These disasters will be fresh on the minds of southern Arizonans and AZ Trail users. Let’s all be sure to raise our voices in opposition.

blisterfree

#6

I’m sorry I don’t know the nature of the fire. I did read in our local paper that the fire expert sent in to predict how the fire would behave said for various reasons the fire was ‘complex.’

My guess, from the viewpoint of someone who knows nothing about how fires behave, is that it was a lot of brush and oaks burning. It’s pretty overgrown up there, and there isn’t the kind of forest conducive to a crown-type fire.

It seems pretty much out on our side of the Huachucas (though complete containment isn’t expected for a couple of weeks), but it did move to the west side and they aren’t really making any efforts on that side due to lack of population. So…don’t know how the trail will end up being affected. It seemed from my vantage point the fires would be north of the trail, but I can’t really tell.

Debra

#7

Why can’t it burn the manzanitas & leave a nice easy charcoal trail? I know, be careful what you wish for!

gingerbreadman