0830 Sun July 1 Seeley Fire Info Update
Incident: Seeley Fire Wildfire
Released: 7/1/2012
Eastern Arizona Incident Management Team
For Immediate Release Fire Information Call Center: 435-687-3030
8:30 a.m. July 1, 2012 Media Calls at EOC: 435-636-3761
Evacuees please call Carbon County
Evacuation Coordinator: 435-636-3746
Website: www.inciweb/incident/2953/.org
Email: eazfireteam@gmail.com
Twitter: twitter.com/firescoop
SEELEY Fire Update
Fire Facts
Date started: Tuesday, 6/26/2012 5:30 a.m.
Number of personnel: 379 (from all over the country)
Location: 15 miles NW of Huntington, Utah
Equipment: 19 engines
Cause: Dry Lightning
Aircraft: 8 helicopters (more on order)
Size: 20,175 acres
Hand Crews: 8 (20-person each)
Percent contained: 5 %
Estimated containment date: none
Injuries to date: none
Cost to date: $1,082,472
Complexity of Incident: John Philbin's Eastern Arizona Type-2 Interagency Incident Management Team
Property threatened: Several evacuated communities, 45 residences, recreation facilities, guard stations, communication towers, utility lines, gas lines, coal mining facilities. Structure protection crews are in place. No structures have been lost on this fire. Weather pattern projected to carry fire to the Northeast & South.
Fire Activity:
Increased fire behavior took place in the heavy 20-30 tons/acre bug-kill down dead timber on the southeast perimeter of the fire yesterday afternoon. Firefighters observed 200' flame lengths, fire whorls, and ½ mile spotting. Night shift crews provided structure protection for the evacuated town of Hiawatha.
Additional firefighting resources continue to arrive from around the country to fill requests for assistance. A Structure Protection Group and an Air Attack Group are in place on the fire. More handcrews and aircraft to support them are on order. Extreme drought conditions, bark-beetle-killed trees, strong gusty and unpredictable winds are still driving the fire. Smoke conditions and smoke plume directions continue to vary with the changing winds throughout the day and continuing overnight.
Significant Events:
The full suppression strategy that has been in place from the beginning will continue on all fronts of this fire. Structure protection measures continue to hold, and no structures have been burned. Crews have secured utility lines, gas lines and coal mining infrastructure within the fire perimeter.
Closures/Evacuations/Advisories:
Road closures include: SR-31 at Cleveland Reservoir and at Crandall Canyon. SR-284 at Electric Lake. SR-96 at SR-6. Fish Creek and Bear Ridge Roads at Scofield. No Forest Service Area Closure.
Evacuation areas include: Electric Lake, Scofield, Clear Creek, Hiawatha and several youth camps. A major oil and gas field has been shut down, and several working coal mines have been shut down, causing a hardship to the entire community. Carbon County Sheriff's office is coordinating escorted visits into evacuation areas for immediate needs, please call 435-636-3746 for appointments.
