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Protect our local forests, observe recent restrictions

In the past week the Southwest has suffered devastating fire damage.

In northern New Mexico, the Bandelier National Monument fire’s path of destruction has encompassed more than 45,000 acres, destroying as many as 260 homes and forcing 11,000 people to flee Los Alamos. High winds and low humidity set the stage to whip this controlled burn out of control.

It has already scorched 15 percent of the land belonging to the Santa Clara Tribe. And although 1,200 firefighters are combatting it, Forest Service officials are seek additional help.

Closer to home an estimated 7,000 acres have been scorched in the North Rim wildfire. Efforts continued early this week to put the finishing touches on containing the blaze.

This fire also began as a prescribed burn on April 25 in the Outlet Canyon and Widforss Point areas. It was declared a wildfire at 8:30 p.m. on May 9 due to lack of available fire crews and a forecast for high winds. Those high winds did materialize the following day and the fire was driven outside project boundaries.

By Saturday, there were about 800 firefighters working the fire’s perimeter. The concentrated efforts that day were along the southwest corner of the fire to provide additional protection for the North Rim’s developed area.

A day later, there were 35 fire crews at the site with efforts concentrated on the western areas of the fire.

Sunday the federal government banned controlled burns for the next month, while agencies delve into how this “Cerro Grande” got out of control.

As announced in last week’s edition of the Williams-Grand Canyon News, campfire and smoking restrictions were imposed on all national forests in Arizona May 13. These restrictions will remain in place until sufficient precipitation is received and include the following exceptions:

• Open campfires will be allowed only in developed campgrounds with existing campfire rings.

• Smoking will be allowed only in developed campgrounds and recreation sites, inside buildings or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter cleared of all flammable materials.

• Heating and cooking devices such as gas or propane stoves, heaters, etc. are allowed as are lanterns.

Additional fire prevention measures went into effect Monday on both Kaibab and Coconino National Forests. Now, operating a chainsaw is prohibited between the hours of 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Effective this Friday, Bill Williams Mountain will be closed to public entry until further notice to protect the City of Williams watershed.

These measures might seem drastic, but with the dry conditions prevalent, they are simply imposed to prevent devastation like that in New Mexico or on the North Rim. Think of how our landscape would be scarred not to mention how our already depleted water supply would be taxed combatting wildfires.

For more information on fire restrictions, call the Williams Ranger District at 520-635-5600 or the Williams Visitor Center at 520-635-4707.


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