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“We have made no decision about permitting the Rosemont copper project. I just want to make sure that is clear up front.” — Coronado National Forest Supervisor Jim Upchurch
“We will protect Las Cienegas (National Conservation Area).” — U.S. Bureau of Land Management Gila District Manager Tim Shannon
“We have disclosed that there is a high likelihood that Empire Gulch could go from a stream of water to being ephemeral.” — Coronado National Forest Supervisor Jim Upchurch
“The Army Corps can’t approve their permit until they resolve the mitigation they need.” — Coronado National Forest Supervisor Jim Upchurch
“We are having substantive discussions with CEQ (White House Council on Environmental Quality) and those other federal agencies.” — Coronado National Forest Supervisor Jim Upchurch.
By John Dougherty
The families of 12 of the Granite Mountain Hotshots killed on June 30 in the Yarnell Hill Fire today filed notice of claims with the city of Prescott, Central Yavapai County Fire District, the Arizona Forestry Division, Yavapai County and four fire commanders seeking $237.5 million in damages.
Investigators on July 3 inspect the location where the Granite Mountain Hotshots were entrapped by flames four days earlier. (Photo: Arizona State Forestry Division)
Prescott attorney Thomas Kelly, who once served as assistant superintendent of the Prescott Hotshots, filed the claims on behalf of the families that includes several of the crew’s most experienced members including Granite Mountain Hotshot Captain Jesse Steed.
The claims name four fire commanders who were working under the state’s direction on June 30: Roy Hall, incident commander, Arizona State Forestry Division; Russ Shumate, incident commander, Arizona State Forestry Division; Todd Abel, field operations chief, Central Yavapai Fire District; and Darrell Willis, Wildlands Division Chief, Prescott Fire Department. [Read more…]
Please refrain from ANY personal attacks or nasty comments concerning anyone posting on this site. Please maintain a professional approach to discussing the issues. Disagreement is natural. But name calling will not be tolerated and anyone who continues to post in this manner will be permanently blocked from the site. Thank you, John
Published Wed., Dec. 11 2013 at 11:38 AM in Phoenix New Times
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| Illustration by Pat Kinsella |
A state fire supervisor asked the Granite Mountain Hotshots whether they could assist in Yarnell minutes before the 19-member crew left a burned-over safety zone along a mountain ridge and began its descent into a chaparral-choked box canyon where the men died in a firestorm.
See Also: Complete coverage of the Yarnell Hill Fire here.
The request, which was not disclosed in the Serious Accident Investigation Report commissioned by the Arizona Forestry Division (released in late September), provides important new insight into why the Granite Mountain crew decided to abandon their safe position as a powerful thunderstorm rapidly approached the wildfire raging below. [Read more…]
