National Fire Plan Success Story
Alpine and Arrowhead Hotshots Work Together on Prescribed Fire
Saguaro National Park, Arizona
National Fire Plan - Firefighting
2010
Alpine and Arrowhead Hotshots in front of Saguaro's Manning Camp Ranger Station. NPS photo taken June 26, 2010.
In late June 2010, the Arrowhead and Alpine Interagency Hotshot crews were both assigned to the Mica Mountain Prescribed Fire at Saguaro National Park. Working for several days atop the 8,600 foot Rincon Mountains, the crews successfully completed the 114-acre burn. Along with personnel from Saguaro, other resources assigned to the incident included the Zion and Buffalo River Wildland Fire Modules.
Saguaro Fire Management Officer Kristy Lund commented, “The Mica Burn was located in rugged, remote terrain. The crews hiked in 9 miles just to get to the burn site. We couldn’t have pulled it off without Arrowhead and Alpine!”
It is believed that this was the first and only NPS hotshot crews have been assigned to a prescribed fire at the same time. Arrowhead and Alpine were both formed in 1981. At the time, they were the first non-U.S. Forest Service hotshot crews established, and the first hotshot crews funded by the Department of the Interior. The Arrowhead Hotshots are based out of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, and the Alpine Hotshots out of Rocky Mountain National Park.
Contact: Kristy Lund, Fire Management Officer, (520) 733-5130.