Arizona Towns At Risk As Wildfires Hit Southwest

May 25, 2012Email ThisPrintNewslettersTweetArticleCommentsAn Arizona wildfire threatened two more towns on Friday, with high winds on the way, as firefighters made progress against the largest of several fires spreading across the U.S. Southwest.

More than 1,000 firefighters in Arizona and Colorado were battling five major blazes that have consumed more than 55 square miles (142 square km) of ponderosa forest, brush and grass, and a new blaze erupted in Utah on Thursday.

The Gladiator Fire in central Arizona, which has already destroyed four structures and forced the evacuation of about 350 residents of the old mining town of Crown King earlier in the week, was threatening two more tiny communities.

U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Debbie Maneely said that residents of Battle Flat and Pine Flat, which have fewer than 50 homes combined, have been alerted to evacuate within 24 hours.

Maneely said the situation was “really critical,” with 40-50 mph winds predicted, and that more crews and equipment were being called in to fight the blaze, which has burned about 15 square miles in the Prescott National Forest since it erupted on private property on May 13.

Meanwhile, crews made slow progress against the biggest of four fires in Arizona, which has scorched 22.6 square miles in the Tonto National Forest, about 40 miles north of Phoenix, since it started on May 12.

The Sunflower Fire was 15 percent contained on Friday, up from 10 percent a day earlier, Fire information officer Rick Hartigan of the Arizona Central West Zone Incident Management team said.

In Colorado, a wind-driven wildfire grew to 12 square miles overnight, as some 500 firefighters struggled against the blaze in low humidity, hot temperatures and rugged terrain, fire officials said.

The human-caused Hewlett Fire has burned for five days in the Roosevelt National Forest, incident spokesman Greg Heule told reporters on Friday.

No structures have been lost but residents of 15 homes were under a mandatory evacuation order, he said.

Governor John Hickenlooper declared the fire a disaster emergency on Friday, activating the Colorado National Guard and freeing up $3 million to assist in fire suppression efforts.

In Utah about 100 firefighters were battling the 500-acre (202-hectare) 73 Fire, which began on a state road about 60 miles southwest of Salt Lake City.

By mid-day, the blaze was about 50 percent contained, with light rain and cool temperatures aiding firefighters, although expected high winds for the afternoon could pose a threat. No homes or structures have been threatened.

Copyright 2012 Reuters. Click for restrictions.Email ThisPrintNewslettersTweetCategories: West NewsTopics: Colorado, Roosevelt National Forest, Utah, wildfireHave a hot lead? Email us at newsdesk

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Claims Valued At $35M Filed Over Reno Wildfires

May 14, 2012Email ThisPrintNewslettersTweetArticleComments

About 1,100 claims valued at $35 million have been filed as a result of two major wildfires around Reno in recent months, according to insurance carrier reports.

The Nov. 18 Caughlin Ranch Fire burned nearly 1,900 acres and destroyed 26 homes after being started by power lines arcing in high winds. A man died of a heart attack while evacuating his home.

The Jan. 19 Washoe Drive Fire killed a 93-year-old woman, charred 3,100 acres and destroyed 28 homes after being accidentally started by a man’s improper disposal of ashes.

Nevada Division of Insurance spokesman Jake Sunderland told the Reno Gazette-Journal that residents in fire-prone areas should learn about their policy coverage, and the difference between replacement cost and actual cost values. Replacement cost insures the market value of items, while actual cash value covers the purchase price for items.

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Arizona Wildfires Grow, Evacuations Underway

May 14, 2012Email ThisPrintNewslettersTweetArticle1 Comments

Fire crews battled several wildfires in Arizona over the weekend, including a 4 1/2-square-mile blaze in the northern part of the state that prompted evacuations in a historic mining community.

A fire about 4 miles north of the mountain town of Crown King has destroyed two buildings and one trailer. It ignited Sunday on private land next to the Prescott National Forest in the Bradshaw Mountains, north of Phoenix.

The area, next to the Prescott National Forest in the Bradshaw Mountains, north of Phoenix.  remained under a mandatory evacuation order.

A total of five wildfires in the state had charred more than 9 square miles by late Sunday, according to the Arizona Republic.

The state’s other large fire, in an area more than 120 miles east of Phoenix, was spotted Saturday in Tonto National Forest, where it burned about 4 square miles. That blaze is about 20 miles south of Payson.

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Email ThisPrintNewslettersTweetCategories: West NewsTopics: Arizona, wildfiresHave a hot lead? Email us at newsdesk

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Warm Weather, Dry Conditions Could Mean More Wildfires in Northeast

April 12, 2012Email ThisPrintNewslettersTweetArticleComments

Northeastern states are not known for frequent wildfires and brushfires. But that could be changing this spring as the region faces record-high temperatures and unusually dry conditions.

“With more than 15,000 temperature records broken in the U.S. in March 2012 alone, combined with low precipitation and little or no snowpack across much of the nation’s lower 48 states, this year could be very active one for wildfires and brushfires, including parts of the Northeast where such events are relatively uncommon,” said Robert Hartwig, president of the Insurance Information Institute in New York.

In 2011, wildfires scorched more than 8 million acres across the United States, damaging thousands of homes, businesses and vehicles and causing $855 million in insured losses, according to the I.I.I.

The Institute offers resources online that explain what types of losses are generally covered under a standard homeowners or business property insurance policy.

The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety in Tampa, Fla., also noted this week that dry and windy conditions are triggering wildfire in the Northeast region. The group offers wildfire resources online for homeowners, including how to create defensible space zones to keep wildfires from spreading.

Also, the American Red Cross offers online a wildfire safety checklist, including a list of essential supplies to prepare in case of evacuation.

“More and more people are making their homes in woodland settings, rural areas or remote mountain sites. There, residents enjoy the beauty of the environment but face the very real danger of wildfires,” according to the American Red Cross. “Wildfires often begin unnoticed. They spread quickly, igniting brush, trees and homes. In a wildfire, every second counts.”

 

Email ThisPrintNewslettersTweetCategories: East NewsTopics: brushfires, insurance Information Institute, widfiresHave a hot lead? Email us at newsdesk

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