Tuesday Marks The One-Year Anniversary Of The Start Of The Museum Fire

Tuesday marks the one-year anniversary of the Museum Fire that burned just north of Flagstaff. The fire started on July 21st and burned 1,961 acres. The fire caused the evacuation of residents in Mount Elden Estates and other areas were put into “Set” conditions. Fire investigators say the human-caused wildfire started in a steep slope environment associated with critical restoration work. When equipment used in a thinning project hit a rock, investigators say the resulting spark created a heat source that hibernated until warm, dry and windy conditions arrived. The conditions caused it to grow into a small fire at first, then into the Museum Fire. The fire was fully-contained August 12th. A year later, there is still a concern for flooding on the Museum Fire burn scar, especially as we are in the Monsoon season. At one time, over 700 firefighters called Flagstaff home, fighting the Museum Fire.