Fire in the Forest & Gradual Rebirth
Aspen Fire Contained in Santa Catalinas
By Heidi Schewel - Santa Catalina Ranger District
The Aspen Fire was ignited on June 17th, 2003 in the vicinity of the Aspen Trail and Marshall Gulch in the Santa Catalina Mountains. Initial attack personnel from the Coronado National Forest, Santa Catalina Ranger District responded and engaged in fire suppression. The fire was burning in dense, heavy fuels, in steep terrain in an area not accessible by road. Firefighters hiked in carrying their gear. Due to the effects of an extended drought, fuels in the mountain range were extremely dry. The fire burned aggressively, driven by high winds and steep slopes. Air support in the form of helicopters and air tankers, as well as structural protection fire engines and additional ground crews were ordered from the Southeast Zone Dispatch Center. The village of Summerhaven was evacuated, as were facilities above it. Mt. Lemmon was closed at the base. Despite the efforts of firefighters, the fire continued to grow, torching and burning up into the crowns of trees. After the realization that it would take more than initial attack forces to suppress the fire, the decision was made to assign management to a Type One Incident Management Team, a highly-organized interagency team of experienced fire managers with the ability to order additional firefighting resources as needed. By nightfall the size of the fire was approximately 52 acres.
Fire suppression was exceedingly difficult due to dry fuels, steep terrain, high winds and aggressive fire behavior, which made firefighting a dangerous undertaking. Adding to the level of difficulty (ASPEN FIRE REPORT, continued from p.1) was a lack of natural control features, such as rocky outcroppings, which could be utilized to stop the spread of the fire. Additional resources were ordered. On June 18th an Incident Command Post and fire camp were organized at Sabino High School. The Incident Management Team assumed command of the fire. All residents, business owners and visitors were evacuated from Mt. Lemmon. The American Red Cross provided aid to evacuees.
On June 19th, approximately 350 people were assigned to the fire. Resources included four air tankers, six helicopters (two of them heavy-duty Skycranes), and over thirty structural protection fire engines from throughout southern Arizona. The first two objectives for the day's operational period were to provide for firefighter, aviation and public safety, and to keep the fire south of the Marshall Gulch Trail, which was between the fire and Summerhaven. Strong winds made firefighting difficult throughout the morning. Shortly after noon, winds gusted in excess of 60 miles per hour. Orders were given to remove firefighters from the fireline, as conditions were too hazardous for them to remain. Extremely strong winds from the southwest pushed the fire to the northeast, across Marshall Gulch and up into Summerhaven and the adjoining Loma Linda residential area. It did not burn uniformly, leaving only ash in its wake. Rather it burned, as was characteristic of the fire as a whole, in a mosaic pattern. Many homes and businesses were destroyed. Many remained untouched, or sustained minor damage. Some vegetation was severely burned, some remained in the pre-fire state. Though the damage was evident, Summerhaven was far from a total moonscape. Accordingly, the village remained in jeopardy, with the potential for reburn in the unburned vegetation. In the afternoon the fire continued to burn across the road and down the north side of the mountain range toward the town of Oracle. An additional 2,765 acres burned that day, bringing the total to 3,227 acres. In the days that followed, firefighters were able to save many surviving homes in the village, which were partially burning or about to burn, from the still-active fire.
As the fire continued to spread, the communities of Oracle and Catalina expressed concern for their safety. Although they were not actually threatened, the fire was very visible to residents. Through a combination of tactics, including utilizing bulldozers to cut fireline, "burning out" some areas - lighting fire to consume and remove fuels in the path of the advancing wildfire, and utilizing the 2002 Bullock Fire and Oracle Hill Fire burned areas as buffers, firefighters were able to keep fire from reaching Oracle. Fireline was constructed on the more sparsely vegetated western flank to protect Catalina, but as fire managers predicted, the fire ran out of fuel before threatening the town. However, higher on Mt. Lemmon, additional structures were endangered. Work was done to protect the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory, communications facilities on Radio Ridge, improvements at Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley, summer homes in Soldier Camp and Willow Canyon, organizational camps on Organization Ridge Road, electronic sites on Mt. Bigelow, and structures at Palisades Work and Visitor Center. Firefighters thinned vegetation, cut fireline, installed sprinklers and conducted burnout operations. Some of the efforts were successful, others were not. Several cabins in the Soldier Camp and Willow Canyon summer home areas were lost. The majority were saved. Three outbuildings at the Girl Scout learning center on Organization Ridge Road burned. The rest of the facility and all others in the area sustained little, if any, damage.
Molino Basin Campground and Sykes Knob Picnic Area were heavily damaged. Other forest recreation facilities were damaged only slightly, and will be enjoyed by recreationists in the future as they have been in the past, in many cases without obvious evidence of visitation by fire.
The fire burned on for weeks, changing direction and exhibiting erratic fire behavior. By late June, approximately 1,000 people were assigned to the incident. The weather provided no relief, with strong winds, high temperatures and low relative humidities providing unending challenges for firefighters. Several factors increased resistance to fire suppression. A large percentage of very dry fuels were available to burn. These produced fireline intensities beyond manual capabilities. The fire burned too intensly to put firefighters in harm's way. Steep terrain denied personnel access to the fire and promoted rolling burning debris that would cross containment lines and carry fire between them. Channeling winds in complex topography moved the fire in variable directions. Due to fireline intensity and steep, sometimes vertical terrain, emphasis was often shifted to air operations, which relied on air tankers and helicopters. Throughout the incident, high winds periodically grounded aircraft, thus hampering suppression efforts. For days on end the incident was the number one priority nationwide. Dignitaries such as Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll, Governor Janet Napolitano, and Congressmen Raul Grijalva, Jim Kolbe, John Kyl and John McCain observed the fire and addressed the public, media, and fire management officials at the Incident Command Post. Of major concern were property loss, the potential for property loss, recovery options, and the safety of incident personnel. Many displaced residents and business owners were anxious to rebuild what they had lost. As fireline was strengthened on the northern and northwestern portions of the fire, and threats were removed from facilities and improvements on Mt. Lemmon, focus shifted to the more active southwestern edge, which burned toward resorts and residential areas. Loew's Ventana Canyon Resort was evacuated, as were several of the surrounding residential areas. Eventually eleven hotshot crews working in that division were able to complete fireline which stopped the movement of the fire in that direction, and vacationers and residents returned to the resort and their homes.
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"The potential for severe flooding is high. What happens high up in the mountains affects connected areas at lower elevations."
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After spreading in all directions, the fire was contained on
July 15th. Over the course of 30 days, it had destroyed 322 residences, seven commercial properties, and four outbuildings. Aircraft dropped 3.5 million gallons of water and 400,000 gallons of fire retardant to aid in suppression. Hot spots remained on the interior, and the fire will not be considered to be controlled until significant rain falls throughout the area. Fire burned in vegetative zones from Sonoran desertscrub near the desert floor to mixed-conifer forest at the 9,157 foot summit of Mt. Lemmon. A total of 84,750 acres lie within the fire perimeter. But those are not 84,750 acres of charcoal and ash. In rough terrain such as that of the Santa Catalina Mountains, fire often burns in a mosaic pattern. Some areas burned severely. Some areas did not burn. Others burned at varying levels of intensity. Where the fire burned at ground level and did not consume existing vegetation, beneficial effects will soon be evident, such as an increase in herbaceous (non-woody) vegetation and improved wildlife habitat. Already oak, cow parsnip and other plants are resprouting, and bracken fern and grasses are emerging, even in areas that burned severely. There is still a lot of green on Mt. Lemmon.
A Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team was assigned to mitigate the effects of flooding and erosion. Before the fire, soil was protected and held in place by the roots of vegetation. In many areas, including major watersheds, vegetation and protective litter such as fallen leaves and pine needles have burned away, leaving the soil exposed. The potential for severe flooding is high. What happens high up in the mountains affects connected areas at lower elevations. The headwaters of Sabino Canyon can be found high atop Mt. Lemmon, near the ski area. The Sabino watershed leading down into the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area sustained significant damage from the fire. Flood-waters have already carried black, ash-laden water through the Recreation Area. In anticipation of that possibility, many Gila chub had been removed from Sabino Creek and placed in holding facilities, to be returned when conditions again become favorable for them. On a positive note, ash and debris in the creek have been detrimental to non-native green sunfish, which prey on Gila chub, thus improving chub habitat. The ash will also provide rich nutrients for riparian plants.
The BAER Team assessed the burning intensities of the fire. Of the 84,750 acres, 81,800 acres burned on National Forest System land. Overall, 39% of the area experienced high severity burn while the majority, 61%, sustained moderate to low severity burn. The majority of high severity burn acres occur below the coniferous vegetation type in broadleaf evergreen (oak) woodlands, chaparral, or desert grassland vegetation types. These types are naturally more adapted to intense fires, and many of the woody species will re-sprout or reseed naturally. Grassy/herbaceous vegetation in these areas will also increase. In the coniferous vegetation type, natural reforestation by seed from adjacent unburned stands will regenerate many areas. Any artificial reforestation will be done using seedlings grown from native seed stock collected from the Santa Catalina Mountains or genetically comparable seed from the Pinaleno Mountains. This is especially important in the case of ponderosa pines, which have been shown to be genetically unique and specialized to these sky islands. Stock may be available in seedlings propagated for use along the Mt. Lemmon Highway reconstruction corridor. If the source can be verified as the Santa Catalina or Pinaleno Mountains, the trees will be suitable for planting in burned areas.
BAER Team members identified and completed a number of projects to diminish negative effects on drainages and watersheds, and the potential for severe erosion and flooding. Their work included aerial dispersal of seed and straw mulch to generate new vegetation and shield the soil from heavy rainfall; clearing of debris from stream channels; culvert replacement and drainage improvements; removal of hazardous trees; installation of trash racks in drainages; removal of improvements from flood plains; installation of sand bags around recreational facilities; stabilization of the roadway and historic bridges in the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area; and installation of warning signs in hazardous areas. Future projects to rehabilitate land and facilities will be undertaken utilizing volunteers at the local level. The Forest Service is working closely with the Volunteer Center of Tucson to organize a pool of volunteers which can be called upon for assistance.
People experience differing emotions regarding the damage or perceived damage in the Santa Catalina Mountains. Optimism or pessimism can prevail. Much lamenting has been read or heard about the "loss" of the Catalinas. Good news - the Catalinas are not lost! They're where they have always been and are very much alive, just changed in places. And there's more good news. The conditions were extremely hazardous, but nobody sustained serious injury. There was no loss of life. The fact is, the fire happened. Fires are not uncommon here. This one burned over a large tract of land for a relatively long period of time. But the effects are not as bad as they could have been, and they're not as bad as many may think without seeing for themselves what did and did not burn, and at what level of intensity. Fire is a natural component of ecosystems, not an unnecessary evil which leaves only devastation in its wake. Fire recycles energy in the form of nutrient-rich ash. As the rains fall on lightly to moderately burned areas, ash will act as a fertilizer and encourage the emergence and growth of herbaceous plants and the resprouting of woody ones. These areas will green up quickly. The process has already started. Many trees and shrubs, quaking aspen among them, will resprout vigorously. Where the tree canopy has opened to allow more sunlight to reach the forest floor, sun-loving plants will thrive. In many places, the trees have not been seriously burned. This coupled with the influx of new plants will provide the woodsy landscape people venture to the mountains to enjoy. It is true that some areas will look very much changed from that to which we are accustomed, and they won't look "the same" for a very long time to come. But many areas will retain their appearance. Instead of focusing on what has been "lost" we have the opportunity to watch as the forest heals, and a new forest is born. And we share the opportunity to be a part of the forest and its regeneration. That is the legacy that has been left to us. What we do with it is a matter of choice. |
