Goodwin Fire

The Goodwin Fire was a wildfire that burned 28,516 acres (11,540 ha) in the U.S. state of Arizona over 16 days, from June 24 to July 10, 2017¹. The fire destroyed 17 homes and damaged another 19 structures, but no firefighters or civilians were injured or died in the fire. Investigators did not determine any particular cause for the fire. The fire was first detected on June 24, 2017, by a two-man fire patrol that spotted smoke in the Bradshaw Mountains near Prescott, Arizona. Benefiting from undisturbed chaparral and high winds, the fire spread rapidly and forced the evacuation of several townships within Yavapai County and the closure of Arizona State Route 69. Despite firefighting aircraft being twice grounded by civilian drones operating in the burn area, firefighters made rapid progress containing the fire's spread after June 28. The fire was fully contained on July 10 and had lasting environmental consequences.

The Goodwin Fire was a wildfire that burned 28,516 acres (11,540 ha) in the U.S. state of Arizona over 16 days, from June 24 to July 10, 2017. The fire destroyed 17 homes and damaged another 19 structures, but no firefighters or civilians were injured or died in the fire. Investigators did not determine any particular cause for the fire. The fire was first detected on June 24, 2017, by a two-man fire patrol that spotted smoke in the Bradshaw Mountains near Prescott, Arizona. Benefiting from undisturbed chaparral and high winds, the fire spread rapidly and forced the evacuation of several townships within Yavapai County and the closure of Arizona State Route 69. Despite firefighting aircraft being twice grounded by civilian drones operating in the burn area, firefighters made rapid progress containing the fire's spread after June 28. The fire was fully contained on July 10 and had lasting environmental consequences.

Background

Wildfires are a natural part of the ecological cycle of the Southwestern United States. The Goodwin Fire was one of 2,321 wildfires that burned a total of in Arizona in 2017. The state had expected a "normal" fire season in its forests but high potential in the state's southern grasslands due to high temperatures, low humidity, and an abundance of fuels. By August 2017, wildfires had burned the most land since the 2011 season. In May 2018, the Ecological Restoration Institute at Northern Arizona University published a study of the 2017 wildfire season in Arizona and New Mexico and observed that more land had burned in Arizona than the average of the previous ten years. Eleven fires were studied, of which ten were in Arizona and included the Goodwin Fire.

Aftermath

The Goodwin Fire burned over 16 days and cost $15 million to suppress (equivalent to $  million in ). Of the total area burned, 56% suffered total foliage mortality. The fire forced the evacuation of 9,000 people, destroyed 17 homes, and damaged another 19 structures. More than 650 firefighters were involved in containing the Goodwin Fire at its height. As early as July 5, officials began warning of the possibility of severe flooding during the North American monsoon as a consequence of the Goodwin Fire creating terrain incapable of absorbing water. On July 19, rainwater drained from the Goodwin Fire burn scar into Big Bug Creek, near Mayer, which overflowed into a trailer park within Mayer's municipal limits. The flood damaged 109 houses and two residents had to be rescued from their homes. Some evacuations ordered in response to the flooding remained in place until August 19. Firefighters suspected a human cause, but the subsequent investigation did not determine a specific cause.

Environmental consequences

On August 8, the United States Forest Service published a burned area emergency response assessment of the Goodwin Fire's burn scar and recommended immediate stabilization of severely burned areas via aerial reseeding. Senator Jeff Flake ( ) toured the burn scar on August 17. Helicopters began dropping of grass seed on August 18.

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1361957474 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.