Fire in 16D

shedneck · May 3, 2017

I'm closely watching the Kerr fire updates online, but if anyone has any news about that fire I'd be interested to hear. Any thoughts about the effect on the elk this year?

Ltsheets · May 3, 2017

What area of the unit is lit?

BUGLEnmIN · May 3, 2017

>What area of the unit is
>lit?

John ker canyon Logan

Ltsheets · May 4, 2017

Damn dude. Hope it does what a burn should do and no more. I remember 2 yrs ago seemed like the a large portion of the east side was on fire and burned for weeks. Was still smoldering on one of my scouting trips that year.

bobby · May 4, 2017

here is the link to keep tabs https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5171/

looks small in size at this point.

Update on Kerr Fire, May 4, 2017 at 0900

Incident: Kerr Fire Wildfire
Released: 1:25 hrs. ago
Location:
Reserve Ranger District on the Gila National Forest
John Kerr Peak, 17 miles northeast of Reserve
Catron County, New Mexico
Start Date: May 1, 2017 Size: 175 acres Cause: Lightning
Vegetation: Ponderosa Pine, Gamble Oak, Pinon/Juniper
Smoke: Smoke may be visible within the surrounding area of Apache Creek, Cruzville, Aragon, and Reserve, NM
Resources: 3 engines, Gila Hotshots Incident Commander: Joe Aragon, IC-4
Summary: The Kerr Fire is burning on National Forest lands. Values at risk include Continental Divide trail which is located east of the fire, range improvement infrastructure and Mexican Spotted Owl habitat. CDT hikers in the area are advised to check in with the Reserve Ranger District office at 575.533.6232 for alternate routes in order to avoid fire activity. Maps of alternative routes are available at the district office, on the Gila NF website and on Inciweb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5171/.
Fire operations continued yesterday evening along the ridgetop and went well. All fences within the area are prepped. Minimal isolated torching has occurred. Today?s operations are planned to continue firing from FR 289B towards Fr 7037N. This fire is reducing the fuel load and helping with restoring healthy regrowth and watershed restoration.
For information on the Gila National Forest, check out our website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/gila or join the conversation on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GilaNForest/ or follow us on Twitter @GilaNForest.

bobby · May 4, 2017

17 miles NE of reserve would unit 15 correct?

shedneck · May 4, 2017

Thank you very much. According to the map it's entirely within 16D, but then again I've never stepped foot into New Mexico.

Ltsheets · May 4, 2017

Due North probably would be in 15 but anything east will be in 16D. Hwy 12, which is the boundary between 15 and D goes NNE from reserve and everything E of 12 is 16D.

>17 miles NE of reserve would
>unit 15 correct?

bobby · May 4, 2017

Ok i lied their definition of north east is east . Looks like 16 D

bobby · May 8, 2017

looks like the fire has grown to a substantial size not huge but larger than i thought it would get

mozey · May 8, 2017

Interesting that I just checked the link and it said it was lightning caused. When I was driving around 16C/16E on Friday and Saturday I came across a couple of signs that said Prescribed Burn, but the only smoke that I could see was coming from 16D, so I assumed that it was the prescribed burn. Things looked pretty dry, so that fire could end up burning a long time.

shedneck · May 8, 2017

I'mm definitely not an expert on fires or habitat restoration after a fire, but I think it's safe to assume that the benefits of fire to elk and habitat won't be seen out of this fire until at least next hunting season. Thoughts? I also can imagine that the fire will displace some elk into neighboring units. Anyone have any thoughts on that? Because I've never been in 16D before, it's tough for me to get a good sense of how much of the unit this fire is consuming.

mozey · May 8, 2017

I think it depends on how hot the fire burns. If it burns hot enough to sterilize several inches of top soil, it will be several years. On the other hand, I've seen elk move almost immediately back into a "not-so-hot" burned area, going after the new growth. This was within a couple weeks after the fire was out.

BUGLEnmIN · May 8, 2017

The places that have already been burned will be covered in elk come September. The hottest fire in n.m. history was holding piles of elk the fall after the fire .

hank4elk · May 8, 2017

2k ac & burning low & slow....a good fire.
It will be covered with game come hunting season.
Getting some light rain now.

mozey · May 8, 2017

Unfortunately, your biggest concern will probably not be what the elk do, but whether the FS decides to close the area "for your own safety." That's what happened following the Los Conchas fire in 6C in 2011. Immediately after that fire I was able to scout some decent bulls that had moved right back into some less burned areas (there were still some smoldering trees). About a week before my archery hunt, I got a notice in the mail from G&F telling me that particular section of the unit was closed due to the danger of falling trees and rolling rocks. Yes, there were some really damaged draws that would have been pretty dangerous to be in. But for what I suspect was more for ease of trespass enforcement, the FS drew much wider boundaries to also include areas that held the bulls that I scouted. If I remember right, G&F did offer to refund my license if I decided not to hunt, but there was no way I was going for that, so I took the opportunity to explore some new areas within the unit during my hunt. As you might expect, most of the rest hunters had the same thoughts, and we all ended up hunting on top of each other. Not one of my fondest memories...

mozey · May 8, 2017

If what hank is saying is true, that would be good.

shedneck · May 8, 2017

Thank you all for the positive feedback. I'm hoping your monsoon season brings good news for me.

shedneck · May 8, 2017

Thank you hank4elk. It seems like our Nevada fires burn so hot that it takes years for a burn to begin to rebound. I can't even tell you how happy I am to hear that the elk will be back in there come hunting season.

muleywhisperer · May 8, 2017

I just got a email from fish and game offering a full refund because all hunts in 16-D are cancelled because of the fire and the danger of dead fall!

Oh well maybe next year!

Don't worry the elk got a reverse 911 and advised them to seek shelter in unit 22 because even fire won't touch that area much less a hunter!

hank4elk · May 9, 2017

LAST EDITED ON May-09-17 AT 09:13AM (MST)[p]This fire is nothing like the big fires we have had lately.
As Mozey said they burnt & glazed the ground in places they burned so hot. Whole mountains of conifers gone instead of bands.
Now there is aspen & other plants coming up.Aspens & oaks so thick you can't glass some places.
Light rain again last night.

I doubt they will close much of this area,but I agree FS goes overboard at times. Seen areas open for hiking before hunting season suddenly closed.It's usually for fear of erosion from vehicles & widowmakers & deadfalls.
Flash floods do happen,so stay out of stream beds camping...

shedneck · May 11, 2017

Update from three hours ago: it snowed and rained on the fire yesterday. Projected incident activity says that no significant growth is expected in the next 12-24 hours and crews are being demobed.