[Az-Geocaching] fire

[Fred Coe]

Howdy,

Again, I'll throw my two-cents worth in to this discussion (particularly
since I've spent most of the last month working on one fire or another here
in SE AZ):

1)  Lightning is the usual cause of a 'natural wildfire'.  Spontaneous
combustion usually requires some human caused element (manure piles,
grass/hay/straw piles, etc.). In addition to the friction caused fire that
Scott mentioned, rock slides can cause sparks that can cause an ignition.
When conditions are extreme, it doesn't take much.

2) If someone is found to have caused a fire, they are subject to criminal
charges, but what's worse is they are liable in civil court for the
suppression costs of a fire.  The cost of even a 'small' 40 acre fire can
easily cost several thousand dollars to suppress.

3) Most human caused fires can not be attributed to an individual, but the
instrument of cause is usually identified (abandoned campfire, discarded
cigarette, etc.)

4) Along the border, many human caused fires are caused by UDA's, who've
never heard of Smokey or who intentionally start fires to cover their
activities and/or throw the Border Patrol off their trail.  This doesn't get
much play in the media (or from the agencies) because it isn't PC, but most
folks who are 'building line and kicking ash' know the score.

5)  The 'internal' temperature of a wildland fire depends on several
factors.  Among them, the size of the fuel (that's burning) the moisture
content of the fuel, and weather conditions (temp, humidity, wind speed).
It is not uncommon for temperatures to reach over 1000F.  I have seen some
amazing things, including some pretty massive steel communications towers
that looked like pretzels, and found out that the little blobs of metal
around the site were the bolts that held the tower together.  Somewhere I've
got the spec's on the fire shelters that each firefighter is required to
carry, it lists what the inside temps will be when the outside temps are
such and such for given time periods--I see if I can find it and post the
data here.

6)  Depending on the kind/type/duration of the fire, most 'fire safes'
aren't.  The safe survives, but the contents usually turn to ash.  I've seen
RV fires where all that's left is a fire safe inside a 35' X 8' rectangle of
ash.  I've been with an owner who was able to get his safe open to find more
ash inside.  I think a typical ammo box in a fire in a forest (with fair
sized fuel), would be melted down to slag.

7) As Scott mentions, more severe fire restrictions are in effect on the
Coronado now, and a Forest Closure is not far off.  I suspect other Forests
(and other agencies) will follow suit soon.

8) As far as I know, the last widespread closure of public lands in AZ was
in May/June, 1996.  I was managing the state Fire Information Center at the
time. It is not a decision that managers take lightly.  Once it is effect
don't expect it to be lifted until after an area receives significant
rainfall.  Fuel moistures have to come up and that always lags the rain,
i.e. the wood has to soak up some of that moisture.

My caching activity has dropped off significantly since fire season has
started.  I've been spending a lot of time supporting the suppression
efforts on the Oversite Fire, Merritt Fire, Center Fire, and Ryan Fire.
During one of trips (back to Tucson at 0300, as I recall) I thought of doing
a series of theme caches on fire prevention, and placing them in areas that
burned on fires I've worked this year, then I thought that would be a little
to weird....  I'm still considering a mobile cache, but that'll wait until
the rains come.

And, finally, (this is kinda related), I am pleased (and relieved--we can
pay for the house now!) to announce that the Bonnie half of Team Boulder
Creek will enter duty as a Fire Dispatcher with the Coronado National Forest
on June 3.  It will make it difficult for me to ignore the radio problems
with dispatch...

--Fred
Team Boulder Creek
and
Radio Systems Manager, Coronado NF
and still a red carded Fire Information Officer (if you couldn't tell...)