Whitewater-Baldy Complex Fire Review Gila National Forests USDA Forest Service June 2013 Purpose On November 26, 2012, James Hubbard, Deputy Chief for State and Review Objectives: Private Forestry (SPF) issued a letter requiring several large fires of Fiscal Year 2012 be reviewed by the National Incident Management Identify Best Business Practices Used on Fires Organization (NIMO). The letter emphasized the responsibility of the This Past Season Forest Service to evaluate management actions and assure they were appropriate, risk based and effective. The fires were selected based Identify How Social and on complexity and national significance ensuring the selected fires Political Issues Factored Into Our Decision Making provide a cross section of our risk management performance in fires of various final costs, sizes and oversight complexity. Identify Which Current Procedures Can Be On January 28, 2013, Tom Harbour, Director of Fire and Aviation Enhanced or Expanded Management (FAM), issued a letter to Bob Houseman defining Identify Improvements expectations for the review of the Whitewater-Baldy Complex. The That Can Be Made In purpose of the review was to identify areas that need improvement Sharing and Clarifying and carry recommendations forward for best management practices Expectations in the future. The reviews looked at the use of the 2012 Risk Decision Framework which was included with the 2012 Wildfire Guidance Review Team Members from the US Forest Service National Incident letter signed by James Hubbard, dated May 25, 2012. Management Organization (NIMO), and Region 3 Staff: Background Bob Houseman Incident Commander, NIMO The team reviewed records contained in the Whitewater-Baldy Fire John Truett Operations Section package located at the Forest Supervisor’s Office for the Gila National Chief, NIMO Forest (NF). Interviews were conducted between the weeks of Susan Lee, Finance Section Chief, February 19 and March 11, 2013. Those interviewed included the NIMO Agency Administrator (AA), AA representatives, Initial Attack Judy Palmer, Finance Section Chief, Incident Commander (IC), Type 2 (T2) and Type 1 (T1) Incident NIMO Commanders, T2 and T1 Operations Section Chiefs, Forest Fire Mike Baca, Planning Section Chief, Management Officer, New Mexico State Forestry representative and NIMO and members of the Region 3 fire staff. The focus of the review was Emily Irwin, Program Specialist Fuels, Region 3 internal, concentrating on organizational effectiveness. In addition, the team agreed to a request from the Region to review past fire history on the Gila National Forest and has provided their findings and observations within the context of this report. 1 Whitewater-Baldy Complex Review Gila National Forest USDA Forest Service The Baldy Fire was ignited by lightning at 0645 MT on May 9, 2012. The Whitewater Fire was detected on May 16, 2012 at 1025 MT. It was possibly started with the same lightning storm, but not detected until May 16, 2012. The Whitewater-Baldy fire was burning approximately 20,000 acres per day during mid to late May on 85 percent of the perimeter. The strategy was to protect the communities and use a combination of direct and indirect suppression tactics along all flanks. This strategy led to the following suppression actions: a large burnout stopped the northward progression of the fire, direct line slowed the fire on the northeast side, the Miller Fire and natural barriers slowed the progression of the fire on the southeast flank, and the fire continued to move into the Wilderness on the east and parts of the west flank, where it naturally went out, or went out as it reached burnouts, firelines or pinyon-juniper fuel types. The majority of the fire on the west flank went out due to natural barriers and pinyon-juniper fuel type. On the southeast flank, the Gila River slowed the spread of the fire, along with limited suppression action and natural barriers on the very south end. The fires merged on May 23, 2012 and were declared 100 percent contained on July 31, 2012 after burning 297,845 acres on the Gila National Forest and 527 acres of private land. Incident Management Transitions: WHITEWATER-BALDY COMPLEX Day Date Command Actions 1 May 9 Monitoring Baldy Fire Starts 2 - 5 May 10 – 13 Monitoring Baldy Fire 6 - 7 May 14 - 15 T3 IMT Baldy Fire 8 May 16 T4 IMT on Whitewater Fire is Whitewater Fire detected 9 - 10 May 17 – 18 T3 IMT Baldy Fire 11 - 14 May 19 - 22 T3 IMT on the Baldy T2 IMT assumes Fire, T2 IMT on command of the Whitewater Fire Whitewater Fire on May 19 15 May 23 * T3 IMT on the Baldy The Baldy and Fire, T2 IMT on Whitewater Fires Whitewater Fire merge 16 May 24 T2 IMT Whitewater- T2 IMT takes Baldy Complex command of both fires 17 May 25 T2 IMT T1 IMT Ordered 18 May 26 T1 IMT T1 IMT assumes 2 Whitewater-Baldy Complex Review Gila National Forest USDA Forest Service command 0600 19 - 33 May 27 – June 10 T1 IMT 34 NIMO assumes June 11 NIMO command at 1800 35 - 41 June 12 – 18 NIMO 42 - 83 Whitewater-Baldy Complex turned back June 19 District to the District 84 July 31 District Fire declared out Fire Environment The complexity of the Baldy and Whitewater Fires increased due to rapid growth, large remote wilderness, and extremely difficult terrain. The Baldy Fire which was in monitor status grew from 226 acres on May 9, 2012 to 15,000 acres on May 23, 2012. The Whitewater Fire was in full suppression status when the crews disengaged after initial attack failed on May 16, 2012. There was active fire behavior in the late afternoon, limited safety zones, steep inaccessible terrain, fuels roll out and short distance spotting. A T2 Incident Management Team (IMT) was assigned to the Whitewater Fire on May 19, 2012 at 1700 due to the complexity. State Road 159 to Mogollon was closed to the public, and a structural assessment plan of Willow Creek summer homes was conducted. The fire had not crossed Whitewater Creek, but it was expected to, making significant runs towards the Willow Creek summer homes. On May 22, 2012 there was a precautionary evacuation of the Willow Creek summer homes due to fallout and spotting from plume dominated fire behavior. On May 23, 2012 the Whitewater and Baldy Fires merged, having started approximately 8 air miles apart. Eleven homes and 8 outbuildings in the Willow Creek summer homes area were destroyed. On May 24, 2012 one additional home was burned, and the management of both fires was turned over to the T2 IMT as a Complex. The Whitewater-Baldy Complex was now 70,578 acres. On May 26, 2012 the management of the fire as a complex was turned over to a T1 IMT. The northwest corner of the fire was backing towards the community of Mogollon, and a mandatory evacuation was ordered. There was a red flag warning on May 26, 2012 due to low relative humidity and high winds. Between May 24 and May 28, 2012 the fire increased from 70,578 to 133,193 acres, and was 15 percent contained. The fire continued to grow approximately 20,000 acres each day, from May 28 until approximately June 9, 2012 when it began to slow. By then it was 274,838 acres and 32 percent contained. The residents of Willow Creek were allowed back into their homes on June 9, 2012. On June 11, 2012 the T1 IMT turned over management of the fire to the 3 Whitewater-Baldy Complex Review Gila National Forest USDA Forest Service Phoenix National Incident Management Organization (NIMO) team, which would continue to manage the now 278,708 acre fire that was 37 percent contained. Additional objectives, including providing emergency planning support to county officials, were added to the NIMO Delegation of Authority due to potential flooding in downstream communities. The NIMO team was requested to work with local, state and federal agencies to provide information to local communities on the potential for severe flooding and impacts to private lands. The NIMO team was asked to coordinate and assist the BAER Assessment Team with planning. On June 18, 2012 the fire was turned back to the Gila National Forest at 296,980 acres and 87 percent contained. On July 31, 2012 the fire was declared 100 percent contained, at 297,845 acres. Critical Values at Risk The VARs identified by the Forest Service and New Mexico State Forestry included the communities of Mogollon, Glenwood, Willow Creek and Indian Creek summer homes and cabins, Negrito Fire Base, N-Bar Ranch, Bearwallow Lookout and cabins, the White Creek administrative site, additional private inholdings, and threatened and endangered species. Twelve homes and eight outbuildings in the Willow Creek summer homes area were destroyed on May 23 and May 24, 2012. Observation by Objective: The following are key observations and corresponding lessons learned organized by the four objectives of the review. 1. Identify Best Business Practices Used on Fires This Past Season The Whitewater-Baldy Complex covered a large geographical area. The fire exhibited extreme fire behavior at times in the dry and wet mixed conifer vegetation. Initial attack on the Whitewater Fire was a full suppression, direct attack strategy. The Baldy Fire continued in monitoring status, however, the fire environment and extreme fire behavior soon dictated a re-evaluation of these strategies. The IC and the AA discussed options based on incident objectives. The outcome of this discussion was to enlarge the planning area while maintaining a direct and indirect suppression strategy. Indications were that the actual location of this large planning area was not adequately discussed between the IMT, Forest, AA and AA Representatives.