Lighter winds Tuesday allowed more use of aircraft on the Pipeline and Haywire Fires

North of Flagstaff, Arizona

Map of the Pipeline and Haywire Fires
Map of the Pipeline and Haywire Fires. The red dots represent heat detected by a satellite at 2:11 a.m. MDT June 15, 2022. The red line was the perimeter at 11:15 p.m. MDT June 14, 2022.

The Pipeline Fire six miles north of Flagstaff, Arizona was active Tuesday on the northeast side, north of Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. The rest of the blaze was relatively quiet.

The Haywire Fire was active on the south side Tuesday.

A mapping flight Tuesday night put the Pipeline Fire at about 22,000 acres, and the Haywire Fire at about 5,000 acres.

From KAFF News, Wednesday morning:

With added resources that came into Flagstaff over the last day, it put more boots on the ground. With the winds lower, it brought out the air support.  On the Pipeline Fire Tuesday were two DC-10 aircraft, at least three large aircraft, and multiple helicopters and scout planes. Air support bombarded the fire through most of the day. On the Haywire Fire, fire crews saw the biggest problems. Stephen Fillmore from the Type 2 fire team from California working the fire tells KAFF News, Tuesday was a good day for fire crews. He says late in the day “the wind picked up and changed direction a little bit, which took the fire into some new fuels” which created a lot of smoke. Air attack used the rest of daylight to work on that fire.

A man was arrested Sunday in connection with starting the Pipeline Fire. He told officers he had ignited toilet paper after using it and placed it under a rock Saturday, and that he tried to put out the fire with his sleeping bag. His camp was 80 yards from where the fire started according to court documents. The probable cause of the Haywire Fire is lightning, but that still needs to be confirmed by investigators.

Three fires spreading rapidly northeast of Flagstaff, AZ

Haywire Fire, Pipeline Fire, and Double Fire

Updated at 7:06 a.m. MDT June 14, 2022

map Pipeline & Haywire Fires 930 p.m. MDT June 13, 2022
Map showing the perimeters of the Pipeline & Haywire Fires at 9:30 p.m. MDT June 13, 2022. The red dots represent heat detected by a satellite at 1:41 a.m. MDT June 14, 2022.

A mapping flight at 9:38 MDT Monday night determined that the Pipeline Fire had grown to 20,178 acres and the Haywire Fire was 4,051 acres. Both blazes are within the Coconino National Forest, but at that time the Haywire Fire had reached the boundary and may spread outside the Forest. The Double Fire appears to have merged with the Haywire Fire.

The fires are burning in timber and grass. Some of the areas near the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument have volcanic soils with little vegetation between patches of shrubs, grass, and trees. The elevation ranges from 6,000 to 10,000 feet, with the higher elevations on the west side of the Pipeline fire having a much greater density of timber as evidenced by the photo below and the extreme fire behavior Monday when flames at least 400 feet high were seen in videos.

Pipeline & Haywire Fires June 14, 2022
View from the OLeary camera, north of the National Monument at 8 am. June 14, 2022.

In April of this year the 19,000-acre Tunnel Fire burned across the National Monument. The photo below was taken in 2017.

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, May 20, 2017.

Updated at 11:00 p.m. MDT June 13, 2022

I have seen and been under many smoke columns, but I’ve never seen this on a large fire. Things that come to mind are mountain wave and wind shear. And, GTFO.

Here’s another photo.

Pipeline Fire north of Flagstaff June 13, 2022, by @russdussel
Pipeline Fire north of Flagstaff June 13, 2022, by @russdussel

Fire officials said the Pipeline Fire has burned about 6,500 acres.

A man has been arrested Sunday in connection with starting the fire. He told officers he had ignited toilet paper after using it and placed it under a rock Saturday, and that he tried to put out the fire with his sleeping bag. His camp was 80 yards from where the fire started, according to court documents.

This is not the first time a wildfire has been ignited by burning toilet paper. We have eight other articles on Wildfire Today tagged “toilet paper”.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Dick.


Updated at 8:13 p.m. MDT June 13, 2022

Map of the Pipeline & Haywire Fires
Map of the Pipeline & Haywire Fires. Data accessed at 7 p.m. MDT June 13, 2022. The exact time the data was created on June 13 is unknown.

In a briefing Monday evening fire officials said at least one structure has been destroyed in the three fires burning north and northeast of Flagstaff, Arizona. It appears that the Pipeline, Haywire, and Double Fires have or will soon merge with the footprint from the Tunnel Fire that burned about 19,000 acres north of Flagstaff in April of this year.

The blaze was exhibiting extreme fire behavior Monday afternoon.

Coconino County has established a website with maps showing evacuation status.

Satellite photo smoke Pipeline and Haywire Fires
Satellite photo showing smoke from the Pipeline and Haywire Fires at 6:21 p.m. MDT June 13, 2022. The red arrow points to the fires. NOAA.

Monday afternoon the wind near the fire was gusting as high as 49 mph out of the south-southwest while the relative humidity dropped as low as 6 percent. This, and the very dry vegetation, accounts for the extreme fire behavior on Monday.


2:35 p.m. MDT June 13, 2022

map Pipeline Fire, June 13, 2022 Arizona Flagstaff
Map of the Pipeline Fire ane Haywire Fire, June 13, 2022. The Tunnel Fire, the green perimeter, burned in April, 2022. The red dots represent heat detected by a satellite at 2:49 a.m. MDT June 13, 2022.

Three fires in northern Arizona are spreading rapidly in the Coconino National Forest north and northeast of Flagstaff.

The Pipeline Fire six miles north of the city started Sunday morning June 12. On Monday it has been pushed by winds gusting out of the southwest at 25 to 35 mph as the relative humidity dropped to 10 percent in the afternoon. It has reached the Tunnel Fire that blackened about 19,000 acres in April of this year. Judging from the massive smoke column it appears to be burning around it. Fire officials estimate it has blackened approximately 5,000 acres, but that number is changing hourly.

Pipeline Fire, June 13, 2022 Arizona Flagstaff
Pipeline Fire, June 13, 2022, by @RealTaoOfSwan.

Another fire, the Haywire Fire, was was reported Sunday afternoon on the southeast side of the Tunnel Fire perimeter. It is about seven miles northeast of the Pipeline Fire, making it unlikely that it could have begun as a spot fire started by a lofted burning ember. Fire authorities said the probable cause of the 1,600- acre fire is from a lightning strike several days earlier and is expected to merge with the Double Fire.

A third fire was also reported Sunday afternoon about two miles south of the Haywire Fire. The Double Fire has burned about 500 acres according to Forest officials and was likely also caused by lightning.

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