(UPDATED at 7:34 p.m. MDT June 11, 2016)
The Tenderfoot Fire at Yarnell, Arizona grew slowly on Saturday and is now at 4,040 acres, according to the incident management team. Fire activity was moderated by moisture received on the fire Friday night, along with cooler daytime temperatures and higher relative humidity.
Incident Commander Sinclair stated that “work of the heavy air tankers made a significant contribution towards reducing the spread of fire on the north side of the incident yesterday”.
Highway 89 is now open and the mandatory evacuation on the east side of Yarnell was lifted at 6 p.m. on Saturday. There are no other evacuation orders in effect.
Resources assigned include 8 hand crews, 22 engines, 5 helicopters, 3 dozers, and 353 personnel.
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(UPDATED at 9:18 p.m. MDT June 10, 2016)
The Incident Management Team provided some updated information Friday afternoon about the Tenderfoot Fire at Yarnell, Arizona:
The fire is currently moving away from the Community of Yarnell in a northeasterly direction, an area where very few structures are present. This area is very rugged in character with very little access. Fire managers will be looking for opportunities to the northeast of the current fire area where firefighters can safely engage and suppress the fire south of Wagoner Road.
There are currently no immediate threats to structures. Over the last few years fuel reduction projects were completed on the east and north sides of the Community of Yarnell. Fire Chief Ben Palm stated that these fuel breaks significantly reduced the fire intensity of the Tenderfoot Fire as it approached the community, allowing firefighters to attack the fire and greatly reduce property loss. The fuel breaks were the result of a partnership between the Community and Arizona State Forestry and the Bureau of Land Management.
This afternoon the Yavapai Sheriff’s Office announced the opening of State Highway 89 at 4:00 p.m.
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(UPDATED at 8:45 a.m. MDT, June 10, 2016)
The Tenderfoot Fire at Yarnell, Arizona was very active Thursday afternoon and Thursday night, more than doubling in size to approximately 3,300 acres according to information released by the incident management team. That acreage may change after personnel map the fire via helicopter later today.
The Southwest Area Type 2 Incident Management Team #3, with Incident Commander Alan Sinclair, assumed command of the fire at 6 a.m. on Friday.
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(UPDATED at 10:40 p.m. MDT, June 9, 2016)
The Tenderfoot Fire at Yarnell, Arizona south of Prescott became more active in the late afternoon on Thursday and has now burned over 1,300 acres. The heat data in the map below acquired at 2:27 p.m. MDT on Thursday showed additional fire spread on the east and the northeast sides.
At about 3 p.m. a mandatory evacuation notice for Peeples Valley on the east side of Highway 89 was issued. It was a precautionary evacuation and with no imminent threat at that time.
The increase in fire behavior was a result of the wind increasing to 13 mph after noon, while the relative humidity dropped to 18 percent.
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(UPDATED at 7:16 a.m. MDT, June 9, 2016)
The Tenderfoot Fire has burned 619 acres and three structures just east of Yarnell, Arizona since it started Wednesday afternoon, according to information from fire officials. Firefighters witnessed extreme fire behavior with running and spotting. Sinclair’s Type 2 incident management team has been mobilized.
The DC-10 air tankers were not used initially on the Yarnell Hill Fire three years ago because someone assumed the terrain was not suitable for the aircraft. Obviously they were wrong. The DC-10 seen below made multiple drops on the Tenderfoot Fire on Wednesday.
Updated information on #Yarnell fire https://t.co/RBhacB99qv #TenderfootFire pic.twitter.com/1wjQsf5W2r
— Les Bowen (@NewsyLesBowen) June 9, 2016
The fire is 25 air miles southwest of Prescott and 43 miles northwest of Phoenix.
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(Originally published at 8:39 p.m. MDT June 8, 2016)
Firefighters are battling an aggressive 400-acre wildfire near Yarnell, Arizona that has burned at least one structure and is forcing evacuations in portions of the town. It was reported at about 3:15 p.m. today and is being fought by 85 firefighters assisted by one very large air tanker, one heavy air tanker, two single engine air tankers, one lead plane, three type one hand crews, and at least one type 2 initial attack crew.
Some early reports indicate that the fire started south of Yarnell then climbed the escarpment east of the town. Loss of power and cell phone service complicated suppression and evacuations.
This fire comes almost three years after 19 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots were killed June 30, 2013 while working on the Yarnell Hill Fire that burned into the town.
Continuing coverage of the #TenderfootFire here: https://t.co/EmxYnD7quJ pic.twitter.com/uBa1wI4etk
— AZ Family (@azfamily) June 9, 2016
Houses/buildings burning down in #Yarnell. Tenderfoot Fire out of control. Pics from Denise Roggio. #abc15wx #azwx pic.twitter.com/llVtuEIGAu
— Amber Sullins (@AmberSullins) June 9, 2016
LATEST PHOTOS: #TenderfootFire near Yarnell https://t.co/ba9FzMlBYK pic.twitter.com/4dTxTCnmlK
— azcentral (@azcentral) June 9, 2016
Received several phone calls, two dozers committed! Sorry, (ouch) I was reminded that this is a BLM fire and BLM doesn’t use dozers, usually, if at all. Understand light on land policy. So if it (Tenderfoot) is running away from populated areas it will eventually run into something that doesn’t burn.
Thank you for sharing about the dozer because that was an area that traumatized me this fire was that topic….dozers and you helped ease my trauma and educate me why they allowed back burn so near to structures. I have to take the time out and really thank you.
Having fought fire in Arizona on the ground and from the air, I can’t remember seeing a bulldozer on R 3 fires? Checking resource commitment to the Tenderfoot, no dozers? Good dozer country, aircraft alone can’t put out fires. Teasing the rattlesnake?
Bill Gabbert…a man I call my hero…he is one of the few who dedicate his life to give you LIVE information as it happens.
God Bless Bill.
Tatanka IHC assigned.
Thanks to all for taking the time to send in the pictures and video. If you tease a rattlesnake long enough you will evidentially get bitten. Forest Service and NASA did a good job of “selling” to air attack officers that the VLAT was of little use except in rolling terrain. CDF had been using the DC 10 for seven years when the Yarnell incident occurred, California has mountains. Never as a ground fire fighter assume that an aircraft delivering water or retardant will increase your fire line safety margin!
Bill. The comment about the reason (s) the DC-10 was not used on the fatality fire may be a “half truth”. The DC-10 was offered by SWCC, the day before the fatalities, but was turned down due to the expense. What likely had not been relayed the day of that offer, was that the DC-10 had just gone on Exclusive Use contract the week before, which meant that the fire would not have been charged the $100k Availability (but only flight time and retardant costs).
That may be true, but air attack personnel initially said they did not want the DC-10 because the terrain was not suitable for the aircraft. It was used the next day.