On July 4, the Saffron Fire progressed across the park’s W4 Road, also known as the Swamp Ridge Road. In order to protect visitor safety, Swamp Point and the Swamp Ridge Road have been closed until further notice. If the fire should continue its northeastward progression, it may also become necessary to restrict access to Fire Point.
The Saffron Fire is approximately 400 acres in size and is located at the northern end of the Rainbow Plateau, approximately 2 miles south of the park/forest boundary and 15 miles northwest of the North Rim developed area. It is burning in ponderosa pine forest with white fir understory along-side locust and Gambel oak, in an area that has experienced fire several times in the last 15 years.
This lightning-caused fire was discovered on Saturday, June 26 and is being managed for both protection objectives–preserving multiple cultural sites in the area, and resource objectives– recycling forest nutrients and maintaining the role of fire in a fire-dependent ecosystem.
Smoke impacts have been light with the smoke dispersing and rising well during the daytime hours.
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