Update on Island Lake Fire north of Yuma

Below is the update on the Island Lake Fire on the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge from BLM:

FIRE NAME:  Island Lake Fire  

LOCATION:  The fire is located in the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge on the Arizona side of the Colorado River. 

TIME REPORTED:  May 19, 2013, at 1 p.m.  

ACRES BURNED:  Approximately 500 acres 

RESOURCES:  There are currently 1engine, 1 Type II crew, 2 fire boats, 1 law enforcement boat, and overhead personnel totaling approximately 50 people.  A helicopter is on order at this time.

AGENCIES:  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Arizona State Forestry Department 

LAND STATUS:  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

VEGETATION:  Primarily salt cedar and phragmites

WEATHER:  Temperatures between 95 – 100 degrees with single digit humidity.  Winds will be northwest at 5 -18 mph, with gusts up to 25 mph.

RESOURCES AND STRUCTURES THREATENED:  Norton’s Landing

CONTAINMENT:  5 percent contained at this time. 

CAUSE:  The cause of this fire is under investigation.  

CURRENT STATUS:  The Island Lake Fire is moving upstream at this time and is only accessible by the Colorado River.  The southern portion of the fire has a fireline around it and the eastern portion of the fire is desert.  The western portion of the fire is the Colorado River and it is holding the fire at this time.  The plan for today is to prepare the line for a burnout operation along the northern side of the fire to protect Norton’s Landing which is a private inholding on Imperial National Wildlife Refuge.

CURRENT STATUS:  The Island Lake Fire continues to burn upstream on the Arizona side of the Colorado River.  Fire personnel are conducting a burnout operation on the north side of the fire to stop the fire’s progression. 

RESOURCES AND STRUCTURES THREATENED:  Norton’s Landing and Picacho State Recreation Area.  Two ramadas in the Picacho State Recreation Area have been destroyed.

The forward progress of the fire on the California side of the Colorado River has stopped.  There was an additional spot fire north of Picacho State Recreation Area and it has been confined.

Firefighter and public safety, along with structure protection at Norton’s Landing and Picacho State Recreation Area continue to be top priorities for this fire.  With winds coming from the north, smoke will continue to carry into the Yuma area.  Please take precautions if you are sensitive to smoke.  

Prescribed burn at Sandy Cove, Cibola, south of Quartzsite

Prescribed Burn at 

Hippy Hole/Sandy Cove

Yuma, Ariz. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans to burn brush piles in the Sandy Cove area (also known as Hippy Hole) located along the east side of the Colorado River in La Paz County, Arizona.  The site is located immediately east of the Colorado River, two miles west of the community of Cibola, Arizona.  Burning may begin as early as Friday, January 25, 2013, and will continue until all of the piles have been burned.  The start date and time for the burning operation depends on weather and may be delayed until appropriate conditions occur.  The prescribed burning of the piles will be conducted over a 1-4 day period.

There are a total of 9 piles of brush that will be burned in a 14-acre area south of Sandy Cove.

The piles are expected to burn down quickly.  Smoke should disperse out of the area in a short period of time.  Residents should expect some light smoke in the area during the burn operation. 

For public safety reasons, La Paz County mechanically cleared vegetation in the Sandy Cove area and placed the vegetation in brush piles last spring.  The brush piles include tamarisk, arrowweed, cottonwood, and bulrush/cattail.   

This prescribed burn is a joint venture with BLM, La Paz County, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land – the most of any Federal agency.  This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska.  The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation.  In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs.  The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends.  In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion was generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget.  The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.  The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.

Schedule for Desert Bloom Off Road Rally in Quartzsite Feb. 14-17, 2013

2013 Desert Bloom Rally comes to Quartzsite 

FEB. 14-17, 2013

The 2013 Desert Bloom Rally is rapidly approaching and we could not be more excited about this event. Entries are rolling in almost every day and the manufacturers midway is filling up. Trails have been mapped and pre-run and we have come up with everything from rock climbs to sand dunes and all are a blast! February 14th will be here before we know it and if you have not signed up or if you have not told a friend, DO NOT MISS THIS EVENT!!!

We have slightly altered the format. There will only be one ride offered a day. If we have too many vehicles for each ride, we will split up into groups with staggered start times. This will allow us to support our drivers and riders much better and ensure a safer event.

We have been fine tuning the schedule of events and it will be fun and action packed from the get go. Here is what to expect:

Wdnesday the 13th

• 8:00 AM – Registration Opens

• 4:00 PM – Registration Closes

Thursday the 14th

• 8:00 AM – Registration Opens

• 8:00 AM – Breakfast

• 8:00 AM – Performance Pavilion Opens

• 9:00 AM - Brenda Ride Leaves

• 2:00 PM – Brenda Ride Returns (estimated)

• 4:00 PM – Performance Pavilion Closes

• 4:00 PM – Registration Closes

• 7:00 PM – Drive-In Movie (Inside Performance Pavilion)

Friday the 15th

• 8:00 AM – Registration Opens

• 8:00 AM – Breakfast

• 8:00 AM – Performance Pavilion Opens

• 9:00 AM – Colorado River Ride Leaves

• 2:00 PM – Colorado River Ride Returns (estimated)

• 4:00 PM – Performance Pavilion Closes

• 4:00 PM – Registration Closes

• 6:00 PM – Dinner Cruise (Inside Performance Pavilion)

Saturday the 16th

• 8:00 AM – Registration Opens

• 8:00 AM – Breakfast

• 8:00 AM – Performance Pavilion Opens

• 9:00 AM – Side x Side Performance Bouse Ride Leaves

• 3:30 PM – Side x Side Performance Bouse Ride Returns (estimated)

• 4:00 PM – Performance Pavilion Closes

• 4:00 PM – Registration Closes

• 6:00 PM – BBQ

• 7:00 PM - Raffle

Sunday the 17th

• 8:00 AM – Registration Opens

• 8:00 AM – Breakfast

• 9:00 AM – Patton Ride Leaves

• 9:00 AM – Hogback Ride Leaves

• 2:00 PM – Patton Ride Returns (estimated)

• 2:30 PM – Hogback Ride Returns

For more information visit http://five2productions.com