Latest news with #GreerFire
Newsweek
02-07-2025
- Climate
- Newsweek
Heavy Rain Expected to Flood Two States After Wildfires
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Two states are at an increased risk of flash floods on Wednesday amid excessive rainfall, the National Weather Service (NWS) said in a Wednesday forecast. Burn scars in Southeastern Arizona and Southwestern New Mexico will prove especially vulnerable to flash foods, NWS Weather Prediction Center Meteorologist Bryan Jackson told Newsweek. Why It Matters Early July is the beginning of the U.S. Southwest's monsoon season, when the area typically sees heavy rainfall. However, the current weather system is anomalous, Jackson said, caused by a low over Southern California that's bringing moisture from the tropical Pacific into the region. "I don't think this is a classic monsoon, but it is that type of pattern and is the type of year for it to occur," Jackson said. A stock photo shows a burn scar. A stock photo shows a burn scar. Eric Mischke/Getty What to Know On Wednesday morning, the NWS posted an excessive rainfall outlook through Thursday on Facebook. In the forecast, much of Arizona, southwestern New Mexico and western Texas were at a slight risk for rainfall to exceed flash flood guidelines. "Heavy to excessive rainfall may bring flooding to parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia today," the NWS said in the forecast. "Recently burned areas will be particularly vulnerable to flash flooding." Several recent wildfires, including the Greer Fire in Arizona, the Trout Fire in New Mexico, and the Buck Fire in New Mexico, have made the land vulnerable to flash flooding. "When there's vegetation in place with all the root systems, it keeps the topsoil in place. When things are burned, you lose the vegetation that retains [the water]," Jackson told Newsweek. "If the fire burns hot enough, it can cause the soil characteristics to change, so water can be more repellent. It can run off more readily over fresh burned areas." Through Thursday, Jackson said Southeastern Arizona and Southwestern New Mexico are expecting between 1 and 2 inches of rain. However, if thunderstorms develop, locally higher rainfall amounts could occur. NWS offices across the region have issued flood watches, alerting residents of the flood risk in the area. What People Are Saying A flood watch issued by the NWS office in Tucson, Arizona: "The combination of deeper atmospheric moisture moving into Southeast Arizona from the south and an approaching weather system will result in widespread showers and thunderstorms. These storms will be capable of producing localized heavy rainfall in excess of an inch that can result in flash flooding of normally dry washes, roadway dips and other low-lying areas." A flood watch issued by the NWS office in Santa Teresa, New Mexico: "Deep moisture is in place, and the atmosphere is forecast to turn unstable by the late morning and early afternoon, leading to the development of thunderstorms that will be capable of producing brief heavy rainfall. This will lead to excessive runoff, especially on recent wildfire burn scars in Lincoln County." What Happens Next Rain is expected to continue through Thursday, but the forecast for the region is clear for Friday and Saturday, Jackson said.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Map: US states could face unhealthy air quality due to Canada wildfires
Several dozen wildfires burning in Canada have led local authorities to declare states of emergencies and forced thousands of people to evacuate. Now, they are expected to send smoke drifting into the United States on Friday. As of Friday, there are 174 active wildfires in Canada, with 94 of these considered to be "out of control," meaning fires that are being observed and assessed, but not immediately suppressed, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Some of the smoke from these fires will run along winds that are turning south in the coming days -- carrying it into the United States. Northern Minnesota, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and most of Wisconsin are under air quality alerts, with the smoke considered dangerous for sensitive groups. Most people can still remain active outdoors, but should take breaks indoors and monitor if symptoms like shortness of breath or coughing arise. Heavy smoke will reach Green Bay, Wisconsin, at approximately noon local time on Friday, creating hazy skies. Going into Friday afternoon and evening, noticeable smoke is expected over Michigan and Chicago. Sunset in Milwaukee and Chicago on Friday may have an orange hue, as well, with heavy wildfire smoke projected to reach the area by nightfall and potentially spreading as far as Detroit. The smoke will continue to disperse as it moves into Appalachia and the Southeast on Saturday, with another batch of smoke expected to travel into the Dakotas and Great Plains. As of Friday, the areas in Canada with the most fires include British Columbia with 61 and Alberta with 51. The country is also now at the highest National Preparedness Level, meaning they have requested international help to put out the flames and equipment and personnel from every jurisdiction in Canada is being put to use. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe declared a state of emergency for the Canadian province on Thursday amid a spate of wildfire outbreaks. There were 17 active wildfires in Saskatchewan as of 11:30 a.m. Thursday, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency President and Fire Commissioner Marlo Pritchard said during an afternoon press conference. Of those, three were contained, eight were not contained and five were under assessment, he added, while one was listed as "protecting values" -- referring to a process of setting up tactics, such as water sprinklers, to guide the fire away from areas that could increase risk or damage. MORE: Greer Fire expands to 20,000 acres, over 700 personnel battling flames "Travel may be impacted due to forest fires in northern Saskatchewan," the Saskatchewan Highway Hotline said in a post on the Government of Saskatchewan's Facebook page on Thursday afternoon. "We've had to evacuate and support the evacuation of about 15 communities," Moe said during the same press conference on Thursday. He explained there has been a "significant lack of moisture" in the northern parts of the province causing "over 200 wildfires" in Saskatchewan this spring. Amid his emergency declaration, wildfires continued to spread in the northern part of the province and into other parts of Canada. The neighboring province of Manitoba had first declared a state of emergency on Wednesday as wildfires forced some 17,000 people to flee, according to The Associated Press. MORE: Why glaciologists believe the Birch Glacier collapsed, burying a nearby Swiss town Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney offered "Canada's full support" to the province in a post on X on Wednesday. "The premier and I are in close contact, and the federal government stands ready to assist Manitoba's provincial wildfire teams," Carney wrote in the post. The region saw 15 active fires as of Thursday night, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. ABC News' Ellie Kaufman, Kenton Gewecke and Daniel Manzo contributed to this report. Map: US states could face unhealthy air quality due to Canada wildfires originally appeared on
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Fire crews take on blazes across the state overnight including one in Phoenix
Firefighters have gained control over three brush fires that cropped up throughout the state on the night of May 20, ranging from rural grass fires in southeastern Arizona to a brush fire in the heart of Phoenix. This came after the Greer Fire in eastern Arizona reached 88% containment. The blaze began May 13 and burned over 20,00 acres. Residents in the unincorporated community and surrounding areas were allowed to return to their homes after the fire was 55% contained. Meanwhile, fire danger was still possible throughout the state. The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management along with the Bureau of Land Management, announced new stage 2 fire restrictions within central and western Arizona May 21. Stage 2 restrictions were already in place in northeastern and southern/southeastern Arizona, the forestry department said. Here's what happened with the three fires that sparked up overnight around the state. Residents near Oracle were under a 'set' evacuation status until firefighters gained control over the nearby Cedar Fire, which burned a little over 10 acres of the Coronado National Forest, according to a Facebook post from the U.S. Forest Service. Emergency response officials downgraded the evacuation status to "ready" early in the afternoon on May 20 for some areas. "Set" remained in effect the morning of May 21 for zones 14, 15, 16 and 17, the forest service said. 'Set' status meant that residents should be prepared to evacuate at short notice. The Pinal County Sheriff's Office announced that the town of Oracle was under 'significant fire danger' during the evening of May 20 as the evacuation status went into effect. Fire crews suppressed the Cedar Fire throughout the night, declaring that the flames had stopped expanding by late evening. The fire was officially 5% contained as of 6:40 a.m. May 21, though the U.S. Forest Service said the fire was 'surrounded by containment lines,' and crews had begun mopping up the fire's perimeter. Twelve engines, two helicopters and two large air tankers responded to the Cedar Fire, including a task force from Utah, according to a post on X by the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management. Firefighters had to adjust operations during the evening after an unauthorized drone was spotted flying above the fire, the U.S Forest Service said. Emergency authorities have emphasized that flying over active wildfires is illegal, possibly leading to fines of up to $25,000. The cause of the Cedar Fire was under investigation. Fire crews have also stopped the expansion of the Maverick Fire, northeast of Willcox. The fire kicked up during the afternoon of May 20, burning through desert grasses and brush in an area called Cowboy Canyon, the Arizona Forestry Department said. Large air tankers and engines responded to the blaze, which grew to 20 acres before forward progress was stopped the afternoon of May 21. Smoke was still emerging from the fire's footprint during the morning, and three engines remained to keep the flames from popping up again, the state forest department confirmed. The Phoenix Fire Department responded to a brush fire that sparked in the Salt River bottom near the intersection of Seventh Street and University Drive the evening of May 20, according to an email from the department. Phoenix Fire had yet to release another update on the fire, as of May 21. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Brush fire in Phoenix and two other fires pop up overnight across AZ
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Greer Fire reaches 88% containment, one week after the eastern Arizona blaze began
Calmer winds have helped firefighters make incredible progress on the Greer Fire. The blaze was 88% contained, as of 8 p.m. May 20 and at 20,308 acres, according to federal tracker InciWeb. "It's always a good thing when we can add some containment on the fire, so we're looking good on that part," Operations Section Chief Bryan Carpenter said during an operational update May 20. Residents in the eastern Arizona unincorporated community and surrounding areas returned to their homes as the fire, which had burned more than 20,000 acres, reached its one-week mark. Here's what else to know about Arizona's largest fire to date in 2025. Residents were allowed to return home as the evacuation orders that rely on a "ready, set, go" scale were downgraded to "set." Fire officials warned the fire was still burning, and people should expect smoke and the occasional flames as work continued. Dry and much warmer weather was on the way for the rest of the week, according to the National Weather Service. Winds will be light through May 21, then become gusty over the next few days, the weather service said. People planning a Memorial Day weekend getaway should not be deterred. Businesses were open, but guests at lodging facilities were subject to the same "ready, set, go" guidance as the locals. Campfires and stove fires were banned across the area, including charcoal briquettes and smoking, according to a notice from Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests. Forest officials have also closed trails and roads near the Greer Fire as of May 19. As of May 19, State Route 260 and State Route 373 were open to traffic, save for a small section of State Route 261, to the east of the fire area, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. The fire's origin was still under investigation. As of May 20, 636 people were still deployed to beat back the fire. The Northeastern Arizona Public Information System has links to numerous agencies involved in fighting the fire, from the U.S. Forest Service to local emergency management information. This can be found at Reach the reporter at or at 602-228-7566 and follow her on social media @maryjpitzl. . Subscribe to today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Greer Fire reaches 88% containment, burning 20K acres since its start
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Evacuations lifted, roads back open in Greer Fire area as blaze reaches 39% containment
Eastern Arizona residents evacuated due to the Greer Fire can now return home, and roads threading through the area were reopened. The news comes as the fire, which has spread over 20,324 acres, was 39% percent contained as of the evening of May 19, according to InciWeb, a federal tracker. 'Today is the day there is light at the end of the tunnel," Haley Nicoll with Apache County Emergency Management and Preparedness told a gathering of locals inside Round Valley High School's auditorium. Residents were briefed on what to expect as they return home after being ordered to evacuate days earlier and where to find resources to help them put their lives back in order. Here's what to know as the fire fighting continues while residents try to resume life as normal. Fire officials reported they have 39% of the fire contained, which means they are fairly confident it will not spread beyond the boundaries they have established. As of May 19, the fire had affected 20,324 acres. The fire was still burning, and firefighting continues, said Matt Rau, incident commander for the fire. 'You're going to see some glowing out there — the fire is not out," he said. There was good news and bad news at the briefing. The good news — Winds, which had gusted up to 45 mph May 19, were dying down and the coming days were expected to be quieter, the National Weather Service said. The bad news — The area will remain dry through the coming weekend. There was a slight chance of some precipitation early next week. Power was back on throughout the area, from Greer to Big Lake and North Fork to Sunrise, said Chuck Moore of the Navopache Electric Cooperative. Moore said power lines had been de-energized to avoid having trees fall and heighten the risk of the fire's spread. Most roads in the area were now open, including the main artery of State Route 260 and State Route 373. A portion of State Route 261, between mileposts 394 and 412, was closed to the general public but will be accessible for local residents, the Arizona Department of Transportation said. Apache County Emergency Management and Preparedness placed two dumpsters at the Greer Community Center so residents can dispose of spoiled food and yard waste. Staffers were conducting a community survey to determine specific needs and how to match resources to those needs. The area is still in "set" mode, which means locals should be prepared to leave on very short notice. Businesses can return to normal; there are no restrictions on allowing guests at areas hotels and lodges, although all should be mindful that the "set" status applies to them as well. The fire will still be visible, and firefighting efforts will continue. Residents and travelers should drive with caution. Reach the reporter at or at 602-228-7566 and follow her on social media @maryjpitzl. . Subscribe to today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Greer Fire evacuations lifted, some roads reopen: What to know
