Western Outdoor Times - Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!

Grand Canyon, Ariz. – National Park Service fire managers on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon are managing the Kanabownits Fire for multiple objectives. Lightning ignited the fire Tuesday, July 8, about one mile northeast of the historic Kanabownits Cabin on the Walla Valley Peninsula.

The Kanabownits Fire, mapped July 24 at 260 acres, experienced minimal growth for several days until fire behavior increased with hot, dry weather this week. The fire, which is burning in the 2003 Poplar Fire burn area, is spreading through needle cast, logs and standing snags, as well as some Ponderosa forest. Higher humidity and very light rainfall on Thursday limited the fire’s spread. The forecast calls for similar weather Friday.

Currently 48 people, including two Wildland Fire Modules, a 22-person Interagency Hotshot Crew and overhead are assigned to the fire. A type 3 incident commander and a division supervisor are expected to arrive on this afternoon.

No closures are in effect at this time; however, smoke impacts may be possible.

You can follow the progress of this fire as well as view maps on Inciweb at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3984/. For additional fire information, please call 928-638-7819 (recorded message) or Traci Weaver, Public Information Officer, at 928-638-7065 or follow@GrandCanyonNPS on Twitter. For more on Grand Canyon’s fire management program, please visit the park’s web site at http://www.nps.gov/grca/parkmgmt/firemanagement.htm.