Crooks Fire Now 75-Percent Contained, BAER Team Will Soon Begin To Assess Burn Areas

The Crooks Fire has burned 9,402 acres and is now 75-percent contained. A Burned Area Emergency Response team is being established to begin a burned area assessment of the Crooks wildfire on the Bradshaw Ranger District. BAER assessments are rapid evaluations of the burned area to identify unacceptable risks on National Forest Service lands from post-fire threats. The team’s focus is on the emergency actions necessary to protect life and safety, property and critical natural and cultural resources on NFS lands. The team is working in conjunction with the Yavapai County Flood Control District and shares burned area information from the assessment with other federal, state and local agencies with post-fire responsibilities on state and private lands both within and downstream of burned areas, including USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Weather Service, and US Geological Survey. There are over 800 firefighters working on the fire.