The Navajo Scouts #5, a Type 2 wildland firefighting crew that is under the U.S. Interior Navajo Region Bureau of Indian Affairs Forestry Department, was putting out “hot spots” in the fire zone that were created by smoldering and often burning tree roots that created a dangerous situation if an individual walked over such a hot spot and his or her foot sunk into the hole of smoldering tree roots. The Navajo Scouts, under Crew Boss Terry Tso, were doing “mop up” of the fire on it northeast flank on June 21, 2014. Photo by Marley Shebala. (Please provide proper photo credit when reusing photo.)
HIGH WIND ALERT
The Navajo Nation Emergency Operations Center announced that due to high winds today June 26, 2014 and prediction for high winds tomorrow, June 27, 2014, the Assayii Lake Fire zone will be closed to residents, livestock owners and the general public. The area is unsafe for travel due to winds increasing the chance of falling trees. All roads into the fire area are closed and the public is asked to not travel beyond road closure signs.
The Navajo Nation Emergency Operations Center and Southwest Interagency Type 3 Management Team asks you to please stay off the mountain and away from the restricted areas. Law Enforcement, Forestry, Rangers and Fish & Wildlife are present in the area to enforce the closures. We ask that people be patient and understanding.
For additional information, photos, and maps please visit www.facebook.com/AssayiLakeFire and www.nwcg.inciweb.gov.
According to the SW Interagency Type 3 Management Team Asaayii Lake Fire Announcement, the fire zone, which covers 14,712 acres, is 90 percent contained. The Type 3 Team currently consists of 256 fire personnel, which includes 7 crews, 7 engines, 1 helicopter and 6 water tenders.
The Asaayii Fire, which is human caused, started on June 13 and is under investigation by the Navajo Nation Forestry Department Fire Investigators and the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigators.
On June 25, officials for the Navajo Nation and Southwest Incident Management Team 3 reported that the cost of the fire was at $6.4 million.
The SW Incident Management Team 3 was called in by the U.S. Department of the Interior Navajo Region Bureau of Indian Affairs Forestry Department, which is located in Fort Defiance, Ariz., on June 14, when the Navajo Region BIA Forestry Department realized that it had an insufficient amount of wildland firefighting resources to contain the fire, especially as they faced four days of Red Flag Warnings that included high winds.
The SW Incident Management Team 3 brought in about 867 fire personnel, which consisted of 24 crews, 23 engines, 10 helicopters, and 4 dozers.
The fire was finally contained at 5 percent late June 18 with 841 fire personnel.
At 6 a.m. today, the SW Incident Management Team 3 turned over command of the fire to the SW Interagency Type 3 Management Team.
A small section of a stand of trees that were partially burned by the Asaayii Lake Fire. The trees are located on the northeast flank of the fire on the Chuska Mountains, which is on the Navajo Reservation. The photo was taken on June 21, 2014, Photo by Marley Shebala. (Please provide proper photo credit when reusing photo.)
