Description

The Wallow Fire was discovered at 1330 on May 29, 2011 at a remote location on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest in eastern Arizona. Initial response to the fire was immediate and aggressive. Extremely dry, windy conditions contributed to rapid fire spread with high fire intensity. Over the next weeks, thousands of firefighters from across the country were called to help control the Wallow Fire-which ultimately burned more than 538,000 acres. The Wallow Fire threatened numerous communities, individual dwellings and improvements. While 36 structures burned, a system of prior fuel treatments developed by federal, state, and local governments-as well as private citizens-successfully reduced fire behavior and provided opportunities for firefighters to protect thousands of structures. In many places, these prior fuel treatments enabled firefighters to halt the spread of the fire. A small team was assembled to work with the Apache-Sitgreave National Forest and local partners to assess the effects of the fuel treatments and compile a report with the findings. The report 'How Fuel Treatments Saved Homes from the 2011 Wallow Fire' was the product of this effort. Personnel from the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest and the Southwestern Region Office will talk about the effects of fuel treatments and communities affected by the Wallow Fire.