Grand Canyon National Park

Grand Canyon National Park News

The Powell Fire Wildland Fire Use

June 30, 2003 (NPS): The smoke that is visible at different times during the day in the Grand Canyon is coming from the Powell Fire. The fire is burning in a remote location on the Powell Plateau, 15 air miles northwest of the North Rim developed area. It is about 2,030 acres and burning to the south and southwest on the Plateau.

The fire is being managed under a wildland fire use strategy that involves the management of some naturally ignited wildland fires to accomplish specific, pre-stated resource objectives in pre-defined geographic areas.

Monitoring and tracking smoke effects is one of the objectives on this incident. Carl Bowman, Air Quality Specialist for Grand Canyon National Park says, "Yesterday, air quality was not good in the Canyon as a result of a high pressure system in the area. These high pressure systems can prevent winds from dispersing smoke completely out of the Canyon. Typically, smoke is less visible from late morning through mid to late afternoon allowing for the best viewing opportunities in the Canyon. The good news is that the National Weather Service is predicting a change in the weather with a chance of showers by Wednesday or Thursday this week. Rain will help wash the air and improve visibility levels."

Personnel assigned to the fire are monitoring fire behavior and weather, mapping progression of the fire and documenting resource issues.

Today, winds will be steady 2-5 mph, becoming southwest 8 to 12 mph gusting to 20 mph by afternoon. The slow surface spread of the Powell Fire will continue with 1-2 foot flame lengths and short uphill runs off the steep brushy slopes.

To ensure public safety, the following closures are still in effect: North Bass Trail, Powell Plateau Trail and Swamp Ridge Road. Please contact the Park's Backcountry Information Center at (928) 638-7875 for more information on these closures. For general park information, please call (928) 638-7888.

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon remains open to visitors.

Please visit the following websites for more information and photos of the fire: http://www.nps.gov/grca/fire/index.htm and http://www.fireuse.org/

The Powell Fire Wildland Fire Use

June 29, 2003 (NPS): The Powell Fire continues to burn south along the Powell Plateau on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Since its start by lightning on June 15th, the low intensity fire has burned 1,610 acres. It is located 15 air miles northwest of the North Rim developed area.

Unlike many fires burning in other areas of the country, the Powell Fire is being allowed to continue its natural process under a wildland fire use strategy to reap the resource benefits that the fire is producing. The benefits include nutrient recycling, vegetation regeneration, and reduction of fuels.

Under the direction of Grand Canyon National Park Carnivore Biologist, Emily Garding, mitigation measures are underway to protect known goshawk nesting sites in advance of any potential fire spread. Clearing brush and debris away from the identified trees will help protect the sites. Garding says, "We want to let this fire burn as it would naturally, but at the same time we are taking measures to ensure the fire does not impact the success of the goshawk breeding season."

A noted recent change in fire behavior is the continuous burning through the night as temperatures remain high and relative humidity at night stays low. Today, winds will be steady 5-10 mph from the west, southwest. The slow surface spread of the Powell Fire will continue with 1-3 foot flame lengths and short uphill runs off the steep brushy slopes.

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon remains open to visitors. The fire is not impacting visitors in the developed areas on the South and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The National Park is working closely with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to ensure air quality standards are met.

Please visit the following websites for more information and photos of the fire: http://www.nps.gov/grca/fire/index.htm and http://www.fireuse.org/

The Powell Fire Wildland Fire Use

June 28, 2003 (NPS): The Powell Fire on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon has burned 1,250 acres. Unlike many other fires burning in southern Arizona and New Mexico, the Powell Fire is being managed under a wildland fire use strategy that allows some naturally ignited fires to burn under specific conditions for resource benefits.

The Powell fire was started by lightning on June 15th. It is playing an important role in the ecological process by burning naturally and undisturbed in a remote area of the Park. Personnel on the fire are monitoring the fire, mapping its progression and observing and documenting weather and fire behavior.

A fire must meet certain criteria in order to be considered for Fire Use Management. It has to start naturally, it has to be on lands where there is a Fire Management Plan in place and it has to meet pre-defined goals and objectives that are reviewed on a daily basis.

The slow surface spread of the Powell Fire is creating 1-3 foot flame lengths as it burns primarily Ponderosa pine needle-litter and perennial grasses. Some increased fire behavior is expected on the steep brushy slopes off the east side of the plateau. The North Rim of the Grand Canyon remains open to visitors. The fire is not impacting visitors in the developed areas on the South and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The National Park is working closely with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to ensure air quality standards are met.

Wayne Cook, Incident Commander of the Northern Rockies Interagency Fire Use Management Team on the fire says, "We are here to assist the Park and the Kaibab National Forest in the management of the Powell Fire. Our team is comprised of some of the highest skilled and experienced personnel in wildland fire management. We also use the best available science to support decision making for the successful management of this wildland fire use event."

Please visit the following website for more information and photos of the fire: http://www.nps.gov/grca/fire/

The Powell Fire Wildland Fire Use

June 27, 2003 (NPS): The Powell Fire on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is 980 acres. It is located on the Powell Plateau 15 air miles northwest of the developed area. The lightning caused fire is being managed by Wayne Cook's Interagency Fire Use Management team under a wildland fire use strategy which allows for some naturally ignited fires to burn under specific conditions for resource benefits.

The slow surface spread of the fire is creating 1-2 foot flame lengths as it burns primarily Ponderosa pine needle-litter and perennial grasses. Some increased fire behavior is expected on the steep brushy slopes off the east side of the plateau.

Craig Letz, Grand Canyon National Park Fire Use Manager and agency representative for the Park says,"We are very pleased with the safe operations on this fire to date which allows us to continue monitoring the fire. Due to its remote location on the Powell Plateau, it is not impacting visitors in the developed areas, both on the South and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, which is very important to us."

Grand Canyon National Park is working closely with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to ensure air quality standards are met.

There have been no injuries on this fire since it started June 15. Fire personnel gather each day for the morning briefing and receive an important safety message from Safety Officer, Allen Farnsworth. Firefighter safety remains the number one objective on this incident.

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon remains open to visitors.

Please visit the following websites for more information and photos of the fire: http://www.nps.gov/grca/fire/index.htm and http://www.fireuse.org/

The Powell Fire Wildland Fire Use

June 26, 2003 (NPS): The winds calmed down today on the Powell Plateau of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, but the Powell fire continued to grow. The lightning caused fire is 830 acres and is being managed under a wildland fire use strategy which allows for some naturally ignited fires to burn under specific conditions for resource benefits. The fire is moving south on top of the Powell Plateau, 15 air miles to the northwest of the North Rim developed area.

According to Rob Seli, Fire Behavior Analyst on Wayne Cook's Interagency Fire Use Management Team,"We are experiencing a drying trend and that will cause incremental increases in fire behavior through the weekend. Since the fire has been backing into the wind and has not been wind driven, the warmer, drier conditions will actually affect the fire more than the high winds we experienced earlier this week."

There are 42 people assigned to the fire including technical specialists, natural resource advisors, a helicopter pilot and support personnel, fire use module personnel from Zion National Park and Bandelier National Monument and various core team members from Cook's team.

Today, there is more smoke visible in the Canyon from the fire. Smoke from the fire will typically settle in the Canyon at night and should dissipate by mid-day. Grand Canyon National Park is working closely with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to ensure air quality measures are being met.

To ensure public safety, the following closures are still in effect: North Bass Trail, Powell Plateau Trail and Swamp Ridge Road.

For more information about these closures, please contact the Park's Backcountry Information Center at (928) 638-7875. For general park information, please call (928) 638-7888.

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon remains open to visitors.

Please visit the following websites for more information and photos of the fire: http://www.nps.gov/grca/fire/index.htm and http://www.fireuse.org/

The Powell Fire Wildland Fire Use

June 25, 2003 (NPS): Grand Canyon, AZ - The Powell fire continues to grow at a slow and steady pace. It is 790 acres and moving to the south on top of the Powell Plateau on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The location of the fire is 15 air miles northwest of the developed area on the North Rim of the park. The fire is being managed under a wildland fire use strategy which allows for some lightning caused fires to burn under specific conditions for resource benefits.

Wayne Cook's Interagency Fire Use Management Team is responsible for the management of the fire. Planned actions include monitoring fire behavior, weather and fire growth along with taking air surveys to map and observe the fire.

There are 36 people assigned to the fire representing many agencies including the National Park Service, U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Williams Interagency Zone Dispatch, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Smoke generated from the fire is monitored on a daily basis under the Grand Canyon Smoke Management Program. According to Carl Bowman, Air Quality Specialist for Grand Canyon National Park, "Up to this point, little smoke in the Canyon has been associated with this fire. However, there may be more smoke visible in the mornings as a high pressure system settles in the area through early next week. Any smoke in the Canyon should dissipate by mid-day."

To ensure public safety, the following closures are still in effect: North Bass Trail, Powell Plateau Trail and Swamp Ridge Road.

For more information about these closures, please contact the Park's Backcountry Information Center at (928) 638-7875. For general park information, please call (928) 638-7888.

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon remains open to visitors.

Please visit the following websites for more information and photos of the fire: http://www.nps.gov/grca/fire/index.htm and http://www.fireuse.org/

The Powell Fire Wildland Fire Use Strategy

June 22, 2003 (NPS): The Powell Fire, which began June 15, on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, has grown to approximately 610 acres. Wayne Cook's Interagency Fire Use Management Team accepted responsibility for the management of the fire on June 20th. The team is working closely with Grand Canyon National Park and Kaibab National Forest managers as the fire is located near the boundary between the forest and the park.

The fire continues to move in a southerly direction backing into the wind on the top of the Powell Plateau growing about 100 acres a day.

Personnel assigned to the fire are positioned at Swamp Point and other locations east of the fire at vantage points along the North Rim, monitoring smoke dispersal, taking weather observations and mapping the fire progression. According to Josh Erickson, supervisor on the Bandelier Module, "the fire is progressing naturally along the plateau, producing very little smoke and things are going quite smoothly."

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is open to the public, however, the temporary closure of the North Bass Trail, Powell Plateau Trail, and Swamp Ridge Road remains in effect to ensure public safety.

For more information about these closures, please contact the Park's Backcountry Information Center at (928) 638-7875 or for general park information, please call (928) 638-7888.

The Powell Fire

June 21, 2003 (NPS): The Powell Fire, which began June 15, on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, has grown to approximately 511 acres as of 7:00 p.m. June 20, and is being managed under a Wildland Fire Use Strategy. The fire management staff is working in close cooperation with the Kaibab National Forest staff on this event since the fire is located near the boundary between the forest and the park.

Resource specialists continue to monitor the impacts and benefits of this natural fire.

For more than a century, fire was considered a destructive force and aggressive actions were taken to suppress wildland fires. Fire is now recognized as an essential part of many ecosystems. Numerous plants and animals evolved with fire and adapted to fire. Fire stimulates nutrient recycling and allows dormant seed to germinate. A variety of plants, including ponderosa pine, thrive on nutrients that are present in a burned area. These plants in turn, provide food for wildlife.

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is open to the public, however, the temporary closure of the North Bass, Powell Plateau Trail, and Swamp Ridge Road remains in effect to ensure public safety.

For more information about these closures, please contact the Park's Backcountry Information Center at (928) 638-7875 or for general park information, please call (928) 638-7888.

Northern Rockies Interagency Fire Use Management Team Takes The Lead On The Powell Fire

June 20, 2003 (NPS): Wayne Cook's Interagency Fire Use Management Team will take command of the Powell Fire today at 6:00 p.m.

The Powell Fire, which began June 15, on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, has grown to approximately 446 acres as of 7:00 p.m. June 19, and is being managed under a Wildland Fire Use Strategy which promotes ecosystem restoration. According to Jim Kitchen, Incident Commander on the Grand Canyon National Park Fire and Aviation Management Team "this fire is doing exactly what we want it to do." The fire management staff is working in close cooperation with the Kaibab National Forest staff on this event since the fire is located near the boundary between the forest and the park.

Personnel continue to monitor the fire behavior and smoke impacts. Precautions are being taken to avoid adverse impacts to cultural resources and other environmental concerns.

The use of fire as a resource management tool requires a combination of science-based analysis and planning to safely and effectively manage the fire. Cook's team includes fire behavior analysts and technical specialists who will use the latest fire behavior modeling technology to provide information for decision making to meet daily and long-term management objectives.

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is open to the public, however, the temporary closure of the North Bass, Powell Plateau Trail, and Swamp Ridge Road remains in effect to ensure public safety and firefighter safety.

For more information about these closures, please contact the Park's Backcountry Information Center at (928) 638-7875 or for general park information, please call (928) 638-7888.

Note: Additional information can be found on the NPS Fire News website at www.nps.gov/fire/news/

Fire Use Strategy Continues on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon

June 19, 2003 (NPS): In accordance with Mother Nature, the Powell Fire, which was started by a lightening strike on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon June 15, is being managed under a Wildland Fire Use Strategy which promotes ecosystem restoration.

The Powell Fire has grown to approximately 375 acres as of 7:00p.m. June 18, and "things are going really well on this fire" according to Craig Letz, Acting Fire Management Officer at the Grand Canyon.

In a ponderosa pine forest, which is primarily what is burning, fire is an essential part of the ecosystem. Fire stimulates nutrient recycling and allows dormant seeds to germinate. A variety of plants thrive on nutrients that are present in a burned area. These plants, in turn, provide food for wildlife.

The fire management staff continues to work closely with the Kaibab National Forest staff, since the fire is near the boarder.

Two Fire Use Modules, consisting of four personnel each, along with fire overhead team members from the Grand Canyon National Park continue to monitor the fire for smoke impacts and fire behavior. Precautions are being taken to protect combustible cultural resources in the area.

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon remains open to the public, however, the temporary closure of the North Bass, Powell Plateau Trails, and Swamp Ridge Road continues to be in effect to ensure public safety in these outlying areas.

Wayne Cook's Fire Use Management Team will be arriving sometime today to transition with the Grand Canyon National Monument management team. The transition should take either place late this afternoon or early tomorrow morning.

For more information about these closures, please contact the Park's Backcountry Information Center at (928) 638-7875 or for general park information, please call (928) 638-7888.

Grand Canyon National Park Seeks Public Comment On Environmental Assessment For Yavapai Observation Station Rehabilitation

June 19, 2003 (NPS): Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Joseph F. Alston today announced the release of an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Yavapai Observation Station Rehabilitation. The building, eligible as a National Historic Landmark, is located on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. The proposal includes both interior and exterior rehabilitation designed to preserve historic features and elements of the building while improving functionality, safety, and accessibility for users. Installation of new exhibits is also a primary component of the project. The proposal implements direction outlined in the 1995 Grand Canyon National Park General Management Plan for the building to function as an interpretive facility, focusing on geology and related themes. The facility is currently used primarily as a bookstore with only limited interpretive exhibits. The National Park Service (NPS) is soliciting comments from the public on the proposal.

The EA considers two alternatives, Alternative A; a no-action alternative and Alternative B; an action alternative. Alternative B, the agency preferred alternative, proposes to rehabilitate the building, bringing it up to current building codes and safety and accessibility standards. This would be achieved through interior and exterior repairs and rehabilitation actions including such things as replacement of roofing, reinforcing log vigas and beams in selected locations, repainting, repairing historic doors, restoration of the original scored concrete flooring, installation of a fire detection and sprinkler system, and upgrading the structural and electrical systems. Other key components of the rehabilitation include 1) installation of new exhibits focusing on the geology of Grand Canyon and 2) the eventual removal of the observation deck windows, to restore the original open-air terrace, and installation of a glass wall with an operable door between the exhibit hall and the observation terrace.

Copies of the EA can be obtained by writing to the Superintendent, Grand Canyon National Park, P.O. Box 129, Grand Canyon, Arizona 86023, Attn: Sara White, Environmental Compliance Officer, or on-line at http://www.nps.gov/grca/compliance/index.htm. Comments will be accepted for 30 days and should be sent to Sara White at the above address by July 21, 2003. For questions or additional information, please contact Debbie Lutch, project compliance lead, at 928-774-0095.

Fire on North Rim of Grand Canyon being Managed under Wildland Fire Use Strategy

June 18, 2003 (NPS): A lightning caused fire that started on June 15, is burning on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park and is being managed under a Wildland Fire Use Strategy, a strategy that involves the management of naturally ignited wildland fires to accomplish specific, pre-stated resource objectives in pre-defined geographic areas.

The Powell Fire, as of 7:00 p.m. June 17, was estimated at 250 acres, and is burning primarily in ponderosa pine forest. This wildland use fire is helping to remove an accumulation of fuel, a natural process in a ponderosa pine ecosystem. The fire is approximately 15 air miles northwest of the North Rim developed area on Powell Plateau, and is burning primarily to the south and west. The fire is active and is expected to continue to burn for several weeks.

Due to its close proximity to the Kaibab Forest, Grand Canyon Fire Management staff is coordinating their efforts with the U.S.D.A. Forest Service.

Two Fire Use Modules, consisting of four personnel each, along with five overhead team members from Grand Canyon National Park are monitoring the fire for smoke impacts and fire behavior. Fire personnel are also taking precautionary measures to protect combustible cultural resources in the area.

The North Rim of Grand Canyon remains open to the public, however, a temporary closure of the North Bass and Powell Plateau Trails, along with Swamp Ridge Road is currently in effect to ensure public safety in these outlying areas.

For more information about these closures, please contact the Park's Backcountry Information Center at (928) 638-7875 or for general park information, please call (928) 638-7888.

Astronomers Present Free Star Programs at Grand Canyon National Park

June 5, 2003 (NPS): The thirteenth annual Grand Canyon Star Party will be held June 21 through June 28, 2003 at Yavapai Observation Station on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Under the sponsorship of the National Park Service and the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association, amateur astronomers from across the country will be volunteering their expertise for this event. Free star programs will be available nightly, and telescopes will also be set up to view planets, star clusters, galaxies, and nebulae.

Grand Canyon is one of the best night sky observing sites in the United States. Expect spectacular views of the universe, weather permitting. Star slide programs will begin at 8 p.m. outside of Yavapai Observation Station; a question and answer period will follow. Volunteer astronomers will then have their telescopes available throughout the evening for the public to view the night sky. These telescopes will be set up around Yavapai Observation Station, its parking lot, and in an observing area southwest of the lower portion of the parking lot. In addition to night viewing, some volunteer astronomers will set up their telescopes during the day to provide visitors with up-close views of canyon features, as well as safe observation of the sun.

When traveling in the park, it is best to find a parking space and utilize the free shuttle service to all points of interest in the Village area and along the scenic Hermit Road on the West Rim. If you plan to stay overnight at Grand Canyon National Park, plan your visit in advance. Visit the Park's official website at http://www.nps.gov/grca/ or to receive a free Grand Canyon Trip Planner, call 928-638-7888.

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