In the same general area is the Red Fire on the Coconino National Forest. All the fires on the Kaibab NF are being managed with a confine/contain strategy. This means they will be allowed to burn to predetermined boundaries "confining" the fire within those boundaries using natural and/or preexisting man made barriers, usually roads or utility corridors. Containing a fire means that a combination of natural/man made barriers and newly constructed fireline is built to keep the fire from making major runs should the possibility present itself. The objective of confine/contain is to allow the fire to burn within predetermined boundaries that have been established by a fire management plan already written.
The Red Fire on the Coconino is being managed for resource benefits and there is no plan to contain or confine it. If increased fire activity presents itself then a change in objectives may occur.
This is done to return fire to its natural role in fire dependent ecosystems. The Kaibab NF is the star on public lands this year for the fires they have managed using confine/contain and resource benefits objectives. An additional benefit is the lower cost of managing fires in this manner. This cannot be done when fires are near man made developments such as subdivision, towns, and cities, in or near the wildland/urban interface. The Tusayan Ranger District and the northern portion of the Peaks Ranger District on the Coconino NF are fairly isolated, giving the Forest Service enough room to use this strategy with lower risk.
Weather, fuel moisture, and time of year have a lot to do with the decision made as to what strategy is used on a fire. A fire in late May or early June with very low fuel moisture in the larger fuels may result in a fire in the same area having full and immediate suppression action taken.
Another star Forest in this new policy is the Gila NF in New Mexico. For the last 4-6 years previous to this one they have had the most acreage using this policy. They haven't had many fire starts this year and that has not allowed them to use this policy as much. Good and well researched fire management plans have to be written and approved before a public land jurisdiction can implement this policy. I started my Forest Service career on the Kaibab in 1974 and am excited to see the progress that Forest has made in returning fire to its natural role.
