Wildfire near Insomnia and Illusions Canyons , AZ

[summitseeker]

Hey Guys,

FYI there is a wildfire near Hwy 89A in Arizona. Some of the approaches for Insomnia and Illusions canyons are cut off and have burned. The canyons look like they were missed. The incident is being called the Slide Fire.

Here are some links:
http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3874/

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/us/article/Arizona-wildfire-grows-to-11-1-2-square-miles-5497197.php#photo-6336548

[dsw2925]

The good news is the fire is 90% contained as of this (6/1/14). There were no major injuries and no homes or structures burned.
The bad news over 21,000 acres of unparalleled wilderness burned including around half a dozen of the best technical canyons in Arizona. Here is a recap blog post. Oh and canyon tree frogs humping too.

http://canyoneering.wordpress.com/2014/06/02/canyon-tree-frogs-in-little-lo-the-nearby-slide-fire-in-the-w-of-oak-creek/

[sonnylawrence]

This was recently posted on Facebook.

As most of you are aware the Slide Fire in Oak Creek, AZ has burned in and around West Fork of Oak Creek. The entire West Fork of Oak Creek area is closed. That includes several canyoneering canyons. I flew over the area as part of our post fire flooding planning and was able to see that the slopes above Insomnia and Illusions were burned. The canyon bottom may seem untouched now but the area is still very hazardous. The potential natural anchors above the canyons have been compromised which may make rescue very difficult of not impossible. The site above the big rappel in insomnia where the rescuers conducted the rescue in 2011 is no longer a rescue option.
While we know that many will want to see how the fire affected the area we urge you to obey the closure and not enter the area. We are expecting some significant flooding and rock/landslide activity in Oak Creek and West Fork of Oak Creek. The safety of rescuers will be carefully considered before deploying to incidents in the area.
Thanks for your understanding and cooperation.
Sgt. Aaron Dick
Search and Rescue Coordinator
Coconino County Sheriff's Office