Aug. 18: Kane Fire 100% contained
Lightning started the Kane Fire early this month north of the Grand Canyon, and now mother nature has ended it with monsoon rains.
Matt Switzer with the Kaibab National Forest said Friday the fire is 100% contained.
“We still have crews that are out monitoring and patrolling, finishing up the rehab and repair work on the fire lines,” Switzer said. “And just making sure that everything stays where it should.”
Switzer said that even though the 2,800-acre fire is still smoldering, he hopes this marks the end of the fire season.
Aug. 14: Monsoon rains mean better containment of Kane Fire
Thanks to monsoon rains, it looks like one of the several wildfires burning across the state could be having its last gasp.
Stefan La-Sky is with the Southwest Area Incident Management Team. He said recent rainfall has helped contain the Kane Fire near the Utah border.
“We didn’t get heavy rains over the fire, but we had enough to keep it in check,” La-Sly said, “allow fighters to gain ground on it. And especially this time of year, August, it’s normally hot, dry. So we’ve been really fortunate that the monsoonal rains have given the firefighters a hand.”
La-Sky said more accurate mapping shows the fire has burned around 2,854 acres.
“We’re now at 38% containment,” La-Sky said. “We’re gonna see that number going up quickly.”
He said the indecent management team will turn things back over to the local forest service Tuesday.
Also on Tuesday, Flagstaff will lift current fire restrictions.
Aug. 9: Smoke visible in Page, Flagstaff
The blaze has consumed 2,868 acres and remains zero percent contained.
Smoke from the Kane Fire may be visible in the surrounding areas of Page, Tuba City, Tusayan, Flagstaff and Fredonia, officials said.
Aug. 6: Lightning-caused wildfire burning uncontained in northern Arizona
More than 75 firefighters were battling a wildfire in northern Arizona near the Utah line that was started by lightning, authorities said Sunday.
Kaibab National Forest officials said the Kane Fire began Friday and had charred more than 7.7 square miles by Sunday with zero containment.
No evacuations have been ordered.
Forest officials said the wildfire was 13 miles southeast of Jacob Lake, or nearly 45 miles north of the Grand Canyon’s North Rim.
Officials with the North Kaibab Ranger District said smoke is visible from across northern Arizona, including many areas south of the canyon.
Authorities said a hotshot crew has been ordered into action as the fire was burning in timber, thick brush and pinyon-juniper with hot, dry and windy weather forecast for the area over the coming days.
