OAKLAND, Calif. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to assist the State of Arizona to combat the Tinder Fire burning in Coconino County.
On April 29, 2018, the State of Arizona submitted a request for a Fire Management Assistance Declaration for the Tinder Fire. At the time of the request, the fire was threatening 700 homes in and around the unincorporated community of Blue Ridge. The fire was also threatening four businesses, two fire stations, two communication towers, two churches, and electrical distributions lines. Mandatory evacuations were issued for approximately 1,000 people and voluntary evacuations for 2,000 people.
The fire started on April 27, 2018, and has burned in excess of 8,600 acres of land. The fire was zero percent contained. There was one other large fire burning uncontrolled within the state.
Reported By the SW Area Incident Management Team :
Acres: estimated 8,623 acres (based on infrared data) Containment: 0%
Start Date: April 27, 2018 Cause: Unknown, under investigation
Origin Location: 1.5 mi NE of Blue Ridge Reservoir Jurisdiction: Coconino National Forest
Fuels: Timber (grass and understory)
Resources: 510 personnel including 13 crews, 5 helicopters, 23 engines, 3 dozers, 2 watertenders and overhead
Strong southwest winds will continue to be a hazard through Tuesday. Spotting will be common and problematic. There is a potential for very active to extreme fire behavior with rapid rates of spread and moderate to long range spotting through the day. As topography aligns with the wind, expect to see an increase in fire behavior.
Significant fire growth is expected to continue. The fire will continue to move to the northeast, moving rapidly through the Ponderosa Pine. Once it reaches the Pinyon/Juniper vegetation, expect to see a reduction in fire behavior through less continuous fuels. Areas of grass will burn rapidly with long flame lengths. Flank growth will continue with fingers spreading away from the flank, then becoming a head fire as winds increase.
Firefighters actively engaged in structural protection throughout the night. Structure protection actions in local communities will continue today. Firefighters are also scouting for opportunities to anchor and hold the fire and may conduct burnout operations to try to secure and hold firelines when they can do so safely and effectively.
Structural loss assessments are underway. The current priority now is providing for emergency responder and public safety in the area. Coconino County will be assessing damages and providing updates as soon as they’re able to do so.
The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office evacuation for all Blue Ridge Tinder Fire affected communities north, east and west of Hwy 87 remains in effect. Visit https://www.facebook.com/CoconinoCounty for details. Blue Ridge Area Residents can call the County’s Call Center, 928-679-8393 with questions about evacuations and structures.
Highway 87 closures are in effect in the fire area. Visit https://twitter.com/ArizonaDOT or call 511 for current status.
Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Every time a drone is spotted near the fire all aircraft are grounded until we can be sure the drone is clear of this area. More info visit Know Before You Fly, http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.
The FEMA Regional Administrator determined the Tinder Fire threatened such destruction as would constitute a major disaster. The state’s request was approved on April 29, 2018, at 8:26 PM PDT and was designated as FEMA-5236-FM-AZ.
Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAGs) provide federal funding for up to 75 percent of eligible firefighting costs. The Disaster Relief Fund provides funding for FMAGs through FEMA to assist in fighting fires that threaten to cause major disasters. Eligible costs covered by FMAGs can include expenses for field camps, equipment use, materials, supplies and mobilization, and demobilization activities attributed to fighting the fire.
For media inquiries related to FEMA’s support to the fires, please contact (510) 627-7006.