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National Fire Plan Success Story

Gap Prescribed Fire
Globe Ranger District, Tonto National Forest, Arizona
June 2008

Project Description

The Gap Prescribed Fire project is located on the Globe Ranger District, Tonto National Forest, southeast of Globe Arizona and southwest of San Carlos, Arizona. The project area is in Management area 2F, identified in the Tonto National Forest Plan.

The Gap prescribed fire project started with the planning stages in the spring of 2005. For various reasons, mainly because of weather and carrier fuels conditions, full implementation was not possible until June 14, 2008. The purpose of the project was to reduce 3,350 acres of natural fuel buildup, improve plant vigor, increase perennial grass, increase wildlife forage and reduce catclaw and chaparral by 30% to 70%. The project and treatment areas are entirely encompassed with a roads system.

Implementation Plan and Accomplishment to Date

The entire boundary of the Gap Prescribed Fire project was hand-ignited using a striped head firing technique to create a 100-yard buffer of the eleven mile perimeter. The firing operations were constantly challenged by winds that were needed for the results of the planned prescription. The district resources used for the initial implementation of firing, blacklining and holding of the project perimeter were; Globe Hotshots, Engine-26 (type6), Engine-28 (type3), Canyon V.F.D. (type6), Helicopter 3-2-3, 2-3 (DFMO), 2-1 (District Ranger), 2-3-2 (PIO) and a RXB2. Other resources assisting in the implementation were: AZ-State Engine-162, AZ-State Globe handcrew, Pleasant Valley Hotshots, Prescott Fuels Crew, TNF Engine-66, TNF Engine-35 and 2-3-1 (RXB2t).

We were able to safely and efficiently complete the blacklining operation of the perimeter in three days. Many believed this process would take at least seven days. This was accomplished with very few spot-fires, the largest being just over an acre in size. On day four of the burn, Helicopter 323 and forest personnel were able to ignite the interior using the sphere dispenser in four hours. We were able to meet our objectives and goals for the project area. Extensive coordination and communication with the community of Globe and residents of Beverly Hills on the San Carlos Apache reservation were ongoing throughout the fuel treatment and provided and opportunity for education and outreach on the need for these treatments to prevent catastrophic wildfire.

Contact

Louis E. Sandoval, Fuels Specialist, Globe Ranger District, 928-402-6200, lesandoval@fs.fed.us.