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BRINS FIRE – June – July 2006 Red Rock - Secret Mountain Wilderness, Coconino National Forest, AZ A Personal Synopsis of the Trail Assessment and Evaluation Report Jim Mahoney, Wilderness Resource Advisor, Bureau of Land Management, Tucson Field Office
Amid the world famous Red Rock landscapes and in immediate proximity to multi-multi million dollar “ranches” of the rich and famous, the Brins Fire began on Sunday, June 18th, 2006. Bill Stafford, Recreation and Lands Staff Officer for the Coconino National Forest, Red Rocks Ranger District, served as Lead Resource Advisor for the Type 1 and 2 Incident Management Team’s for the fires’ duration. My WRA position began on Friday, June 27th, when Command Staff proposed my assignment to the incident in the capacity of Type 2 - Wilderness Resource Advisor. Bill Stafford especially requested that I assess and evaluate the effects to four District trails overrun by the Brins Fire. With a thirty-year background in trail design, construction, re-construction and maintenance, including, in 1984, having constructed one of the four trails concerned, I gladly accepted the assignment.
I did not have access to a standardized trail inventory form, but took many digital photographs of the trails in question; and of course, field notes which described general and specific impacts from the Brins Fire to the landscape and trail infrastructure, and noting recommendations for amelioration of potential trail degradation. During the Brins Fire, I utilized definitions of fire severity to the landscape established by the Forest Service BAER team, and I include them here for reference: General assessment of severity of impacts to Wilderness trails, color-coded: pink = high yellow = moderate blue = low
Low Fire Severity Low soil heating, or light ground char occurs where litter is scorched, charred, or consumed, but the duff is left largely intact, although it can be charred on the surface. Woody debris accumulation are partially consumed or charred. Mineral soil is not changed. Fire severity in forest ecosystems is low if the litter and duff layers are scorched but not altered over the entire depth. The surface is mostly black in a shrubland or grassland ecosystem, although gray ash can be present for a short time. Soil temperatures at 1cm are less than 50 C. Lethal temperatures for soil organisms occur down to depths of about 1 cm.
Moderate Fire Severity Moderate soil heating, or moderate ground char, occurs where the litter on forest sites is consumed and the duff is deeply charred or consumed, but the underlying mineral soil surface is not visibly altered. Light colored ash is present. Woody debris is mostly consumed, except for logs, which are deeply charred. On shrubland or grassland sites, gray or white ash is present and char can be visible in the upper 1 cm of mineral soil, but the soil is not altered. Soil temperatures at the 1 cm depth can reach 100 to 200 C. Lethal temperatures for soil organisms occur down to depths of 3 to 5 cm.
High Fire Severity High soil heating, or deep ground char, occurs, where the duff is completely consumed and the top of the mineral soils is visibly reddish or orange on severely burned sites. Color of the soil below 1 cm is darker or charred form organic material. The char layer can extend to a depth of 10 cm or more. Logs can be consumed or deeply charred, and deep ground char can occur under slash concentrations or burned our logs. Soil textures in the surface layers is changed and fusion evidenced by clinkers can be observed locally. All shrub stems are consumed and only the charred remains of large stubs may be visible. Soil temperatures at 1 cm are greater than 250 C. Lethal temperatures for soil organisms occur down to depths of 9 to 16 cm.
The majority of the next seven days--until the end of my assignment as a WRA’s on the Brins Fire--consisted of assessing and evaluating the 9 miles of trails. Two other WRA’s were working the incident, primarily directing MIST and fire suppression rehabilitation efforts. Jeff Gilmore, Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, has written a fine account of his daily Brins Fire WRA activities and experiences: Excerpts from my daily logs and final report, reflect the directions of the Coconino National Forest BAER Team and District management and staff to provide immediate evidence and input regarding valuable trail resources: Sterling Pass Trail # 46 June 27, 2006 “The first 500 feet of the trail have low fire severity impacts, according to the Fire Severity definitions outlined by the BAER team. Some immediate impacts may be: minor sideslope sloughing; a few small trees and brush may obstruct the trail; while existing drainage devices, if maintained, should accommodate surface runoff.”
Sterling Pass Trail # 46 June 27, 2006 “Construction of native stone retaining walls and trail cribbing, will be necessary where appropriate, as soon as it is safe to do so. Much of this section of the trail will be moderately to severely impacted by sideslope sloughing and undercutting of the outslope. Unfortunately, immediately constructing these common, tried-and-true trail features, may be wasted effort until the full effects of sheet and downcutting erosion of the landscape has occurred, and the trail condition and location can be re-evaluated. Some construction of native stone retaining walls and trail cribbing in key locations may help minimize inevitable impacts to the trail, but I doubt it.”
Vultee Arch Trail - June 28, 2006 “Removal of danger trees is entirely up the District. The trail should be closed until it is made safe for travel again, and down trees greatly discourage traffic. However, over time more trees will come down, increasing potential impacts to the trail and the costs of removal.”
North Wilson Mountain Trail – July 1, 2006 “The trail is generally well located, however as a result of trenching and tread width shrinking over the years and minimal drainage devices, the trail could be severely degraded by imminent monsoon flooding. Some immediate trail impacts will be: significant side slope sloughing; 25 -50% downfall or uprooting of trees which have, or will die as a result of the fire; existing drainage devices could be overwhelmed if not maintained immediately. As soon as it is safe to do so, I strongly recommend constructing new native stone water bars, where appropriate. Consider constructing new check dams--as many as 2 per 100 lineal feet of trail tread, or where appropriate -- without backfilling them.”
Wilson Mountain Trail – July 2, 2006 “By far the most severe fire consumption affecting the Wilson Mountain Trail occur in the approximately 1/3 mile ascending from the First Bench of Wilson Mountain to the extensive mesa of Wilson Mountain itself. As soon as it is safe to do so, I strongly recommend constructing new native stone water bars, where appropriate. Consider constructing new check dams--as many as 3 per 100 lineal feet of trail tread, or where appropriate -- without backfilling them.”
Some Conclusions: “In order to save the physical and aesthetic integrity of these nine miles of trails, which are of significant importance to the Red Rock Ranger District and the public who enjoy them, I respectfully urge the District and Forest to consider implementing the recommendations in this report. I am well aware of the financial and logistic burdens which will be placed on the District to accomplish some or all of these recommendations. However, based upon my experience in trail design, reconstruction and new construction, I believe that much of the initial emergency trail work could be successfully achieved by a youth corps crew or crews. My estimate would be that immediate drainage device construction and/or maintenance and critical tread stabilization at key locations, would take one ten-person trail crew approximately one month to complete. Or better yet, two ten-person crews, two weeks to complete. Obviously, time is a critical factor if these trails are to be successfully salvaged in the short term and for the future.”
Some time after de-mobilization and returning home from the Brins Fire, I was informed by Bill Stafford that many of the recommendations made by the WRA’s assigned to this extremely high profile incident, were not only considered, but implemented – especially the unpopular decision to close all four trails until such time as resources could be placed in the field to accomplish reconstruction or obliteration and rehabilitation. Or until the trails became wilderness once again. Which is really all a Wilderness Resource Advisor could hope for… Northern extant of the Brins Fire Oak Creek Canyon and the San Francisco Peaks beyond.
Jim Mahoney, Outdoor Recreation Planner, BLM – Tucson Field Office San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area 1763 Paseo San Luis, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635 (520) 439-6402 james_mahoney@blm.gov
