Firefighters Achieve 60 Percent Containment on X F
Incident: X Fire Wildland Fire
Released: 4/30/2008
For Immediate Release
April 30, 2008, 5 p.m.
Contacts:
Kaibab National Forest Fire Info Center, 928-635-8314, 928-635-8282
Grand Canyon National Park Incident Information (recorded information), 928-638-7688
Grand Canyon National Park Incident Information Center, 928-638-7922
Note: Additional information is available online at www.inciweb.org.
Firefighters Achieve 60 Percent Containment on X Fire
Fire Name: X Fire
Location: About 3 miles southeast of the Tusayan community on the Tusayan Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest. The fire is located on the east side of state Highway 64 between Ten-X Campground and the southern boundary of Grand Canyon National Park. The fire is still more than a mile south of the Grand Canyon National Park boundary and about two miles south of East Rim Drive.
Cause: Human-caused. Any inquiries regarding possible charges filed in this case should go through the U.S. Attorney's Office, Sandy Raynor, 602-514-7625.
Fuels: Ponderosa pine forest, grass, sage
Size: 2,030 acres
Percent Contained: 60 %
Resources Committed: 10 engines, 3 dozers, 5 Hotshot crews, 2 airtankers, 1 water tender, the Tusayan Fire Department, and many individual firefighting personnel. Local fire managers cancelled their order for a Type 2 Incident Management Team due to substantial progress in the firefighting effort. Total personnel = 165.
Closures: There are no closures at Grand Canyon National Park. Ten-X Campground, which was scheduled to open to the public tomorrow, will remain closed indefinitely due to fire activity. The campground has not been impacted by fire. However, the area will remain closed until fire activity decreases. The Arizona Trail from Tusayan to Grandview is closed until further notice. Forest roads 302, 688 and 303 are also temporarily closed.
Summary: Firefighters achieved 60 percent containment on the X Fire today. Despite high winds and dry conditions, they were able to limit the fire's growth. A couple of small spot fires occurred today, but firefighters were able to quickly extinguish them. For tomorrow, fire managers plan to use the 5 Hotshot crews and 10 engines to hold the containment lines currently established and begin mopping up. During mop-up operations, firefighters seek out and extinguish hot spots within the fire's perimeter.
The X Fire, which was called in at 12:39 p.m. yesterday by Red Butte Lookout, is not threatening the community of Tusayan, visitor facilities at Grand Canyon National Park, state Highway 64, or any structures. No structures have been lost.
