We have ended coverage of The Backbone Fire on this blog. Sinclair's T1 IMT PIOs are doing a truly outstanding job providing narrative and graphical information to the public. We urge those interested in The Backbone Fire to pay attention through each day to a wide variety of information resources.
Be sure to use the "hashtag" method of checking both Facebook and Twitter. Use "#BackboneFire. On Twitter, be sure to click "Latest", otherwise you will simply see the most popular Tweets, not the most recent. Most metro media coverage shows up on either or both Facebook and Twitter.
In addition to Inciweb, please also check the official Backbone Facebook pages. Often more timely information is posted on the incident's Facebook and it is likewise somewhat easier to find than on Inciweb.
Most sources covering The Backbone will use the hashtag in their own posts so you can keep track of what everyone is posting. For those living in the Camp Verde area, please pay particular attention to the Facebook account of the Copper Canyon Fire & Medical District.
https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7545/
Be sure to use the "hashtag" method of checking both Facebook and Twitter. Use "#BackboneFire. On Twitter, be sure to click "Latest", otherwise you will simply see the most popular Tweets, not the most recent. Most metro media coverage shows up on either or both Facebook and Twitter.
In addition to Inciweb, please also check the official Backbone Facebook pages. Often more timely information is posted on the incident's Facebook and it is likewise somewhat easier to find than on Inciweb.
Most sources covering The Backbone will use the hashtag in their own posts so you can keep track of what everyone is posting. For those living in the Camp Verde area, please pay particular attention to the Facebook account of the Copper Canyon Fire & Medical District.
https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7545/
https://www.facebook.com/CopperCanyonFMD
We wish to THANK all those who came to read this blog. As of 9 AM Thursday, blog visits totaled 21,541. We're happy we were able to provide information other people may have found useful. THANK YOU.
All of our wildfire coverage, including occasional updates on The Backbone will once again be here:
https://www.facebook.com/WildFireReports
We wish to THANK all those who came to read this blog. As of 9 AM Thursday, blog visits totaled 21,541. We're happy we were able to provide information other people may have found useful. THANK YOU.
All of our wildfire coverage, including occasional updates on The Backbone will once again be here:
https://www.facebook.com/WildFireReports
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Tuesday's single update as well as Monday's & Sunday's updates remain below. The Friday and Saturday Backbone Fire Updates were archived as of 5:45 AM, Sunday, June 20, 2021. They are located here: https://backbonefire.blogspot.com/2021/06/archived-updates-for-backbone-fire.html All Update times listed are Arizona Time.
Update #1 @ 9:30 AM
The Wednesday Morning Sit Report shows The Backbone Fire now has 39 Engines assigned, up from 28 yesterday, seven the day before and a mere two the day before that. That's an increase of 37 engines in 3 days. There are now 12 crews assigned along with 5 helicopters. A total of 590 personnel are on the incident roster, up 148 from yesterday.
For the latest updates on The Backbone see:
https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7545/
Update #1 @ 10:50 AM
Due to personal circumstances we are about four hours late with our initial update today. Updates will be fewer today because we are also covering The Rafael Fire.
The Backbone Fire grew to 37,296 acres yesterday as measured by the overnight NIROPS flight. There are 442 personnel assigned, up 188 from the previous day. A large increase in Engines was noted in the Tuesday Morning Sit Report: 28 versus the previous day of 7 and a mere 2 the day before that. Six helicopters are working the incident, as well as a changing variety of fixed wing aerial resources.
The key developments are these: 1) The Backbone remains west of Strawberry as crews continue to build and strengthen defensive lines; 2) Crews ignited a large burnout operation along SR 260 and SR 87 to create defensible space should The Backbone reach The Mogollon Rim and advance into heavy fuels; 3) Fossil Springs itself remains unburned; and 4) The Backbone remains away from Wingfield Mesa and Verde Lakes Estates along West Clear Creek.
A excerpt from today's official update appears below the following photos clipped from Joseph Elfelt's fine GIS product from @MappingSupport.
See:
https://twitter.com/MappingSupport/status/1407321218202492935
For the latest updates on The Backbone see:
https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7545/
Update #1 @ 10:50 AM
Due to personal circumstances we are about four hours late with our initial update today. Updates will be fewer today because we are also covering The Rafael Fire.
The Backbone Fire grew to 37,296 acres yesterday as measured by the overnight NIROPS flight. There are 442 personnel assigned, up 188 from the previous day. A large increase in Engines was noted in the Tuesday Morning Sit Report: 28 versus the previous day of 7 and a mere 2 the day before that. Six helicopters are working the incident, as well as a changing variety of fixed wing aerial resources.
The key developments are these: 1) The Backbone remains west of Strawberry as crews continue to build and strengthen defensive lines; 2) Crews ignited a large burnout operation along SR 260 and SR 87 to create defensible space should The Backbone reach The Mogollon Rim and advance into heavy fuels; 3) Fossil Springs itself remains unburned; and 4) The Backbone remains away from Wingfield Mesa and Verde Lakes Estates along West Clear Creek.
A excerpt from today's official update appears below the following photos clipped from Joseph Elfelt's fine GIS product from @MappingSupport.
See:
https://twitter.com/MappingSupport/status/1407321218202492935
Below in quotes is the most relevant section of this morning's official update on The Backbone:
"Last night, fire personnel began a firing operation starting at the intersection of state routes 260 and 87 near the communities of Strawberry and Pine. Crews plan to spend today holding and improving this line. Firefighters and equipment continued to construct and improve the community protection line around Strawberry. Structure protection crews worked to protect values at risk and assess hazards in the communities of Strawberry and Pine. Crews were inserted into Hardscrabble Canyon to construct direct line on the fire. On the west side, the fire continued to advance slowly to the northwest, reaching the vicinity of Brown's Spring on the Verde River. Residents of Camp Verde and nearby communities will continue to see the fire follow this pattern of growth for the next several days while firefighters establish containment lines to stop this growth. Crews are working along State Route 260 to prepare for continued burning operations. Aircraft will be used to keep the fire east of the Verde River and to slow forward advance wherever they can be effective. Dry conditions persist, allowing for active to extreme burning conditions."
Monday Updates are below.
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Update #3 @ 6:45 AM
The Backbone Fire gained 73 personnel yesterday and a total of 324 are now assigned to the incident. One additional crew, five addition engines and another helicopter are now involved in fire management operations. The Backbone is said to exhibit "Extreme fire behavior with short crown runs, wind-driven runs and long range spotting." The Backbone is listed at the top of the Monday Morning Sit Report which indicates it is top priority for the Southwest area. The Backbone's cost estimate rose by slightly over a million dollars and now totals $1.8-million.
Source: https://www.nifc.gov/nicc/sitreprt.pdf
Elfelt's analysis of the NIROPS data has been extraordinarily accurate through the duration of The Backbone Fire.
Here is the full scope of the Backbone as viewed when the NIROPS overflight occurred.
The Backbone has not yet reached Strawberry.
Hackberry Mountain's peak is circle in blue. The old volcano is a prominent landmark in the Lower Verde Valley. The fire advanced west of Hackberry and began to encroach into Bull Run Creek.
Updates #2 @ 5:50 AM
According to Joseph Elfelt's early analysis of NIROP's overnight infrared flight, The #BackboneFire grew another approx. 12+ square miles yesterday and now stands at 32,757 burned acres. The bulk of that gain appears to have been on the west side of the incident.
Source: https://twitter.com/MappingSupport/status/1406934903900438537
According to Joseph Elfelt's early analysis of NIROP's overnight infrared flight, The #BackboneFire grew another approx. 12+ square miles yesterday and now stands at 32,757 burned acres. The bulk of that gain appears to have been on the west side of the incident.
Source: https://twitter.com/MappingSupport/status/1406934903900438537
Update #1 @ 5:30 AM AZ Time
NWS Flagstaff issued today's Fire Weather Forecast at 4:38 AM Monday. Afternoon winds are forecast to gust into the 20's. The Haines is at its max value. A Haines Index of 6 means a high potential for an existing fire to become large or exhibit erratic fire behavior.
Source: https://www.weather.gov/wrh/fire?wfo=fgz (Click on Zone 118.)
NWS Flagstaff issued today's Fire Weather Forecast at 4:38 AM Monday. Afternoon winds are forecast to gust into the 20's. The Haines is at its max value. A Haines Index of 6 means a high potential for an existing fire to become large or exhibit erratic fire behavior.
Source: https://www.weather.gov/wrh/fire?wfo=fgz (Click on Zone 118.)
Sunday's updates below dashed line.
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Source: https://twitter.com/erinshieldscoy/status/1406469037421379584
CL-415s work in pairs for reasons we will describe in an upcoming separate post. Note 261's wing-mate at time of red arrow. These refills were unusual because the CL-415s had to do a slight course correction while still on the water. Watch the video closely and you can see it.
Here's 261 slightly after lift off from the water passing right by the houseboat.
Talk about tight maneuvering! WOW!
The Sunday Morning Sit Report shows personnel assigned to The Backbone Fire increased by 156 yesterday to a total of 251. There are seven crews, 2 engines and three helicopters assigned. Yesterday's acreage was used for the report. Containment is zero and July 15 continues as estimated date of containment. Cost is said to be $750,000 but can be expected to rise substantially when expenses of aerial attack are entered into the incident ledger.
The epic Telegraph Fire near Globe appears to be winding down so it is possible that some of the resources assigned there will soon be redirected to The Backbone.
Posted @ 5:50 AM AZ Time
The Backbone Fire grew another approx. 7,000 acres yesterday and burned area now stands at 24,175 acres. The northeast sector fire line remains west of Strawberry. On the southwest sector of the Backbone, flames burned over both The Towel Peaks and Hackberry Mountain. A trusted, credible source in Camp Verde told us: "We can see the fire on the Towel Peaks and Hackberry, just crawling down the mountain toward Wingfield Mesa."
Source: https://twitter.com/MappingSupport/status/1406591974027632650
This is a view Elfelt produced of the overall incident.
Here is a close up of The Backbone's proximity to Strawberry. Aerial resources focused heavily on Strawberry yesterday.
This is a closeup clip of Hackberry and The Towels.
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Posted @ 2:30 PM AZ Time
The winds are quite probably a factor in today's Backbone Fire behavior. We watch remote data sites at the Verde Ranger District in Camp Verde; The Payson Airport and the Pine RAWS. The red numbers on the wind speed columns of these graphics indicate peak gusts for each time period.
The winds are quite probably a factor in today's Backbone Fire behavior. We watch remote data sites at the Verde Ranger District in Camp Verde; The Payson Airport and the Pine RAWS. The red numbers on the wind speed columns of these graphics indicate peak gusts for each time period.
Screen clips from a classic video of Aero-Flite's CL-415 Super Scooper 261 refilling at Bartlett Lake.
Posted @ 1:30 PM AZ Time
Judging from these photos by Neil Weintraub, it appears The Backbone Fire's southern sector may have become very active around noon. The cloud in the photos could well be a pyrocumulus cloud. Thanks, Neil, for sending these along. We will soon calculate an approx. distance between your POVs and the southern sector of The Backbone.
Judging from these photos by Neil Weintraub, it appears The Backbone Fire's southern sector may have become very active around noon. The cloud in the photos could well be a pyrocumulus cloud. Thanks, Neil, for sending these along. We will soon calculate an approx. distance between your POVs and the southern sector of The Backbone.
Posted @ 6:45 AM AZ Time
The Sunday Morning Sit Report shows personnel assigned to The Backbone Fire increased by 156 yesterday to a total of 251. There are seven crews, 2 engines and three helicopters assigned. Yesterday's acreage was used for the report. Containment is zero and July 15 continues as estimated date of containment. Cost is said to be $750,000 but can be expected to rise substantially when expenses of aerial attack are entered into the incident ledger.
The epic Telegraph Fire near Globe appears to be winding down so it is possible that some of the resources assigned there will soon be redirected to The Backbone.
Posted @ 5:50 AM AZ Time
The Backbone Fire grew another approx. 7,000 acres yesterday and burned area now stands at 24,175 acres. The northeast sector fire line remains west of Strawberry. On the southwest sector of the Backbone, flames burned over both The Towel Peaks and Hackberry Mountain. A trusted, credible source in Camp Verde told us: "We can see the fire on the Towel Peaks and Hackberry, just crawling down the mountain toward Wingfield Mesa."
Elfelt's interpretation of the NIROPS overflight data is always extraordinarily accurate. Yesterday his estimate was less than 20 acres from the eventual IMT analysis.
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