Single Publication

Precipitation falls over the Kane Fire

August 11, 2023 – Daily Update

Size: 2,868 acres

Start Date: August 4, 2023

Cause: Lightning

Containment: 0%

Total personnel: 255

Location: 11 miles south of US 89A, near Forest Road 220, North Kaibab Ranger District, AZ

Fuels: Pinyon pine/juniper with grasses and sage

Highlights: The Kane Fire acreage remains the same after frequent and repeated storms brought precipitation and higher humidity to help moderate fire behavior. Overnight, increased cloud cover prevented fire managers from obtaining updated infrared imagery to confirm any additional fire growth. Although rain fell on portions of the fire, the amount of precipitation varied across the area, and the fire continues to burn slowly within the fire perimeter. In some places, this slow burning fire is smoldering without a flame; in other areas, the fire is barely spreading or creeping with a low flame. Despite these conditions, firefighters will continue to operate in the fire area and track all fire activity, including responding to any new fire starts.

Operations: As thunderstorms bring lightning and rain over the fire, crews are remaining alert to changing conditions to ensure firefighter safety during their operations. With the increased moisture, smaller vegetation such as grasses, twigs, and leaves are not drying out until late in the day, resulting in a shorter burning period for the fire. Fire managers are working together with cooperators, such as the Grand Canyon Trust, to assess protection measures around the Kane Ranch; these efforts aim to protect and preserve the valuable historic and cultural resources in this area. Crews are beginning to discuss rehabilitation standards and identify any additional actions needed to safeguard the Kane Ranch from future potential fires.

Weather: Conditions over the fire area will be mostly cloudy with a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms. These storms will depend more on surface heating on Friday while a disturbance event will bring a better chance of storms on Saturday. Winds will generally come out of the south to southwest during the day and become lighter at night. High temperatures will range from 85 to 88 degrees at 5,400 feet in elevation, and 77 to 78 degrees at 7,400 feet.

Closures: The Kaibab National Forest has issued an emergency area closure for the Kane Fire. The purpose of the closure order is to protect public health and safety during the Kane Fire, and to protect assigned firefighting personnel engaging in wildland firefighting operations. The full closure order (No. 03-07-23-06) and map are available on the Kaibab National Forest website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/kaibab/alerts-notices. The Bureau of Land Management Arizona Strip District has also implemented a temporary closure for public safety, with the full closure order and map available on InciWeb.

Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the first priority. Members of the public should stay away from Kane Fire operations. A temporary flight restriction (TFR) is in place over the area, which includes unmanned aircraft, or drones. More information on the dangers drones pose to wildland firefighting aircraft and personnel on the ground can be found at: https://uas.nifc.gov/.

Smoke: Smoke from the Kane Fire may be visible in the surrounding areas of Page, Tuba City, Tusayan, Flagstaff, and Fredonia, AZ. Although smoke is visible from many areas south of the Grand Canyon, it is generally spreading to the northeast. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures. An interactive smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov/ allows you to zoom into your area to see the latest smoke conditions.

Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-information/azknf-kane-fire

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KaibabNF

Kaibab NF website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/kaibab/home

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KaibabNF

Email: 2023.kane@firenet.gov

Phone: (928) 421-4983

Office Hours: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM