Bear Fire
| Bear Fire | |
|---|---|
| Part of the 2021 Arizona wildfires | |
| Date |
|
| Location | Clifton, Arizona |
| Coordinates | 33°27′29″N 109°23′31″W / 33.458°N 109.392°W |
| Statistics | |
| Burned area | 23,868 acres (9,659 ha) |
| Impacts | |
| Structures destroyed | 0 |
| Ignition | |
| Cause | Lightning |
| Map | |
The Bear Fire was a large lightning-caused wildfire that burned in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests in eastern Arizona during the summer of 2021.[1] The fire started on June 16, 2021, near Clifton in Greenlee County and eventually spread to an estimated 23,868 acres (9,659 ha) before it was fully contained (as of June 2021), making it one of several major wildfires to burn across Arizona that summer alongside the Telegraph, Backbone, Mescal, and Rafael fires.[2][3][4][5]
Timeline
[edit]June
[edit]The Bear Fire ignited during an active wildfire season in Arizona, in which several large fires, including the Telegraph Fire near Superior, the Mescal Fire near Globe, and the Backbone Fire near Payson, burned simultaneously across the state amid hot and dry conditions.[6][7] The incident was first reported on June 16, 2021, at around 2:00 pm MDT near Clifton, Arizona.[2]
The Bear Fire burned in remote and steep terrain on the Clifton Ranger District of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, approximately ten miles south of Hannagan Meadow and between Alpine and Clifton, in vegetation described by fire managers as dense brush transitioning into ponderosa pine forest.[8][9]
July
[edit]This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (July 2021) |
Cause
[edit]Fire investigators attributed the cause of the Bear Fire to a lightning strike, similar to other ignitions across Arizona's high country in mid-June 2021.[2][10][11]
Containment
[edit]The fire was 20% percent contained on July 17, 2021.[2]
Impact
[edit]Closures and Evacuations
[edit]The fire resulted in the partial closure of U.S. Route 191 due to the Bear Fire.[10][12][13][14] The Arizona Department of Transportation initially closed the highway between milepost 201 and milepost 225 on June 20, 2021, and the closure was later extended from milepost 175 to milepost 250, as fire activity and smoke conditions progressed.
No widespread evacuation orders were enacted, due to the remoteness of the Bear Fire's location. Suppression measures were primarily made to protect isolated cabins and ranch infrastructure.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "Lightning-caused Bear Fire 18% contained; what you need to know about the wildfire". FOX 10 Phoenix. FOX 10 Phoenix. June 20, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Bear Fire Information - InciWeb the Incident Information System". inciweb.nwcg.gov. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
- ↑ "Prep work continues on Horton Complex". ein.az.gov. Arizona Emergency Information Network. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ↑ "Horton Complex". inciweb.nwcg.gov. Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ↑ "2021 Map: Every wildfire burning in Arizona". FOX 10 Phoenix. FOX 10 Phoenix. June 21, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2026.
- ↑ US Department of Commerce, NOAA. "2021 Climate Year in Review for Phoenix, Yuma, and El Centro". www.weather.gov. NOAA's National Weather Service. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- ↑ "Record-breaking June 2021 heatwave impacts the U.S. West | NOAA Climate.gov". www.climate.gov. June 23, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- ↑ Staff, Abc15 com (June 21, 2021). "Crews battling Bear Fire burning in Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest". ABC15 Arizona in Phoenix (KNXV). Retrieved September 19, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ↑ InciWeb developed and maintained by USDA Forest Service, Fire and Aviation Management, helpdesk@dms.nwcg.gov. "Bear Fire Information - InciWeb the Incident Information System". InciWeb.gov. Archived from the original on October 14, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - 1 2 "Crews battling Bear Fire burning in Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest". KNXV. June 21, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
- ↑ "Lightning-caused Bear Fire 18% contained; what you need to know about the wildfire". FOX 10 Phoenix. FOX 10 Phoenix. June 20, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- ↑ Staff, Arizona's Family Digital News. "US 191 closed in eastern Arizona as Bear Fire burns 11,000 acres". AZFamily. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
- ↑ "Bear Fire forces road closure, tops 23,500 acres at 20% containment". 12news.com. June 20, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
- ↑ InciWeb developed and maintained by USDA Forest Service, Fire and Aviation Management, helpdesk@dms.nwcg.gov. "Bear Fire Information - InciWeb the Incident Information System". inciweb.nwcg.gov. Archived from the original on October 14, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)