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FY 2006 South Kaibab Wildland Fire Report
A Heritage Resources Report
by
Michael G. Lyndon
Archaeologist
Introduction
During Fiscal Year 2006 (October 1, 2005 to September 30, 2006) archaeologists on the South Zone of the Kaibab National Forest worked on a variety of wildland fire, prescribed fire, and fire use related projects and incidents on the forest. Below is a summary of work conducted by Heritage Department staff and others to protect heritage properties on the KNF. The report below documents time spent by Heritage Department staff responding to specific fire-related incidents on the forest and specific mitigation measures for archaeological sites. This report does not include time spent by Heritage Resources staff on day-to-day support and consultation for fire related projects.
The wildfires listed below fall into three categories; prescribed fires, wildland fires, and wildland fire use projects. For prescribed fires, heritage resource staff work with project managers to ensure that project activities are conducted under the terms of the original heritage resource clearance and that all fire-sensitive heritage properties are protected. Participation by archaeologists on prescribed fires includes briefing fire crews on the presence of heritage properties during the morning briefing, overseeing specific mitigation measures for heritage properties, and monitoring sites after the project. For wildland fires, archaeologist work primarily as cultural resource advisors conducting heritage resource survey in advance of ground disturbing activities. For wildland fire use projects, archaeologists adhere to the Wildland Fire Use Strategy (Hanson 1999) for the KNF by identifying fire sensitive heritage properties within the Maximum Management Area (MMA) for the fire and working with fuels managers to mitigate effects to these sites. Below is a summary of all such activities conducted by South Kaibab heritage staff for the 2006 fiscal year.
Incident Summaries
Twin Prescribed Fire
On October 12, 2005, Archaeologist Michael Lyndon worked with fire crews on the Twin Prescribed Fire. Late in the day, dozer work became necessary to hold the fire within the defined perimeter and Lyndon worked with a dozer crew to avoid site AR-03-07-01-63. On November 30, 2006 Archaeologist Lyndon monitored fire sensitive site AR-03-07-01-901, flagged the site for avoidance, and removed heavy fuels from within the site boundary.
Dogtown Prescribed Fire
On November 21, 2006 Archaeologist Michael Lyndon worked as an Ignitions Crew member on the Dogtown Prescribed Fire. Lyndon briefed fire crew members about cultural resources in the surrounding area. No heritage resources are located within the burn unit.
Pronghorn Fire
On December 12, 2006 Archaeologist Lyndon worked as an Engine Crew member on the Pronghorn Fire. No heritage resources are located within the burn perimeter.
Red Horse Prescribed Fire
On January 8, 2006 Archaeologist Lyndon worked as an Ignition Crew member on the Red Horse Prescribed Fire. At the morning briefing, Lyndon discussed local cultural resources with fire crew members. No heritage resources are located within the burn unit.
South Side Piles Prescribed Fire
On January 13, 2006 Archaeologist Lyndon worked as an Ignition Crew member on the South Piles Prescribed Fire. At the morning briefing, Lyndon discussed local cultural resources with fire crew members. No heritage resources are located within the burn unit.
Scott Prescribed Fire
On May 1, 2006 Archaeologist Lyndon worked with Tusayan District Fire Management Officer David Mills to ensure that two fire sensitive sites (AR-03-07-04-860 and AR-03-07-04-868) were protected from burn operations. Mills supervised black-lining of both sites to ensure protection and monitored both sites after the project. Sites 04-860 and 04-868 have been unaffected by project activities.
Figure 1. Fire crews black-line around the collapsed historic fire lookout tree at site AR-03-07-04-860 for the Scott Prescribed Fire. The site was monitored after the completion of burning for the project and the lookout tree was unaffected by project activities. Photograph by David Mills.
Figure 2. Photograph showing platform in lookout tree at site AR-03-07-04-868 after completing burn operations. Photograph by David Mills.
Elk Fire
On June 7, 2006 Archaeologist Michael Lyndon was dispatched to the Elk Fire to work with Dozer 11. Although no dozer line was constructed at the fire location, Lyndon worked with suppression crews to suppress the fire. The area encompassed by the Elk Fire has been previously surveyed for heritage resources and no heritage properties are located within the fire perimeter.
West Fire Use
On June 14, 2006 South Zone Archaeologist Neil Weintraub and Archaeologist Michael Lyndon worked with fire managers on the West Fire Use project to ensure protection of fire sensitive heritage properties. Weintraub and Lyndon constructed hand-line around site AR-03-07-04-1005, and monitored sites AR-03-07-04-1003 and 04-1104 prior to, and after burning. All three sites were lightly impacted by burning of vegetation within the site perimeters but otherwise unaffected by the project. Additionally, Weintraub and Lyndon inspected site AR-03-07-04-860, which was black-lined during the Scott Prescribed Fire.
Figure 3. South Zone Archaeologist Neil Weintraub monitors low-to-moderate intensity fire approaching AR-03-07-04-1005. Photograph by Michael Lyndon.
Bar Fire Use
On June 14, 2006 South Zone Archaeologist Neil Weintraub and Archaeologist Michael Lyndon inspected cultural resources within the Bar Fire Use project that had been located and protected by Engine Captain Cary Stock and crew. Stock and crew located two previously undocumented heritage properties within the Bar Fire Use area and undertook protective measures for the one fire-sensitive site at the direction of Heritage staff. This site (see Figures 4 and 5) consists of a Navajo sweatlodge and associated artifact scatter. Stock supervised the protection of the site by wrapping the structure in fire-shelter material and constructing a low earthen berm around the base of the structure.
Figure 4. An un-recorded historic Navajo sweat lodge was discovered by Engine Captain Cary Stock and crew in the path of the Bar Wild Fire Use. Photograph by Stacia Ruskie
Figure 5. Fire damage to the same structure pictured above was mitigated by Cary Stock and crew. The wooden structure was wrapped within two fire shelters and fuels were cleared from the base of the structure. The crew avoided the fire-cracked rock pile to the east of the structure completely. Photograph by Stacia Ruskie
Warm Fire
From June 22 to June 28, 2006 South Zone Archaeologist Neil Weintraub was assigned to the Warm Fire. From June 27 to July 2, 2006 Archaeologist Michael Lyndon was assigned to the Warm Fire. Due to the size and complexity of the Warm Fire, a separate report is pending that documents Heritage Program contributions and heritage resource effects for the fire.
Figure 6. Three Lakes Cabin after being wrapped in fire-proof material by the Structural Fire crew during the Warm Fire. Photograph by Michael Lyndon.
Figure 7. A hand-held computer loaded with the Infra Mobile Application is mounted on an ATV to allow archaeologists access to Heritage Infra data while on the move during the Warm Fire. Photograph by Michael Lyndon.
Kennedy Fire
On Sunday July 2, 2006 South Zone Archaeologist Neil Weintraub surveyed a bulldozer line on the Kennedy Fire. The dozer line was 1/4 blade-width and therefore Weintraub and District Ranger Stephen Best surveyed 20 meters on both sides of the dozer line. Weintraub showed fire crews the Sycamore Point Ballcourt, AR-03-07-01-00105 so that in the case of spotting west of the dozer line, they could keep a lookout on the site.
AR-03-07-01-00126 and AR-03-07-01-00154 are structural sites with scatters that burned over lightly.
Raymond Wild Fire Use
On July 18, 2006 Archaeologist Lyndon was dispatched to several small fires including the Raymond Fire Use fire. Rains suppressed the Raymond fire and therefore no mitigation of fire effects for heritage resources was necessary.
Overland Fire Use
On July 21, 2006 Archaeologist Lyndon was dispatched to the Overland Fire Use area to supervise the protection of fire-sensitive cultural resources. Lyndon and the KNF Engine 14 Crew constructed hand-line around all fire-sensitive structures/features at sites AR-03-07-02-93 and 02-375. On July 22, 2006 Williams District Fire Management Officer Joe Reinarz supervised the construction of hand line around fire-sensitive features at site AR-03-07-02-376 and conducted black-lining operations at all three sites. All three sites were successfully protected from the fire.
Pouquette Fire
On July 28, 2006 Archaeologist Lyndon visited the Overland Fire Use area and the Pouquette Fire area. Weather prevented site monitoring at the Overland Fire. No heritage properties were identified at the Pouquette Fire.
Pomeroy Fire Use
On September 6, 2006 Archaeologist Lyndon worked with KNF Dozer 12 to construct dozer line protecting an eligible segment of railroad grade (AR-03-07-02-1858) near the Pomeroy Fire Use fire. One and one half miles of dozer line was constructed along the east side of the railroad grade to protect the resource. No other heritage properties were identified.
Figure 8. A corner-blade dozer line parallels a segment of eligible railroad grade during the Pomeroy Fire. Photograph by James Petit.
Fire Data Table
Table 1. Summary of the Heritage Department participation in FY 2006 Fire Projects. Asterisk denotes data to be included in a pending report.
Fire Name / Incident Type / Heritage Staff / Date / Shifts / Total Acres / Sites Protected / Sites MonitoredTwin / RX / Lyndon / 10/17/05, 11/30/05 / 2 / 230 / 01-63, 01-901 / 01-63, 01-901
Dogtown / RX / Lyndon / 11/21/05 / 1 / 408
Pronghorn / WF / Lyndon / 12/19/05 / 1
Red Horse / RX / Lyndon / 1/8/06 / 1 / 1308
South Side Piles / RX / Lyndon / 1/13/06 / 1 / 10
Scott / RX / Lyndon / 5/1/06 / 1 / 1255 / 04-860, 04-868 / 04-860
Elk / WF / Lyndon / 6/7/06 / 1 / 3.3
West / WFU / Lyndon, Weintraub / 6/14/06 / 2 / 1925 / 04-1005 / 04-1003, 04-1004, 04-1005, 04-860,
Bar / WFU / Lyndon, Weintraub / 6/14/06 / 2 / 193 / 1 (no #) / 2 (no #)
Warm / WF / Lyndon, Weintraub / 6/22/06 to 7/2/06 / 20 / 58,000 / * / *
Kennedy / WFU / Weintraub / 7/2/06 / 1 / 191 / 01-105
Raymond / WFU / Lyndon / 7/18/06 / 1 / 1 / 0 / 0
Overland / WFU / Lyndon / 7/21/06 / 1 / 53 / 02-93, 02-376 / 02-93,
02-375, 02-376
Overland/ Pouquette / WFU/ WF / Lyndon / 7/28/06 / 1 / N/A / 02-375
Pomeroy / WFU / Lyndon / 9/6/06 / 1 / 1.2 / 02-1858
References Cited
Hanson, John A.
1999 Wildland Fire Use Heritage Strategy. Ms. on file, Kaibab National Forest
Supervisor’s Office, Williams, Arizona (99055).
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