BLM Utah's Bonneville Hotshots join BLM Arizona to proactively protect communities and respond to wildfires in Arizona

BLM Utah's Bonneville Interagency Hotshot Crew (IHC), based in Salt Lake City, Utah, joined the BLM Arizona’s Colorado River District (CRD) fire program to complete much needed fuels reduction work in the Hualapai Mountains, near Kingman, Arizona. They worked with district fire personnel within the wildland urban interface to reduce and thin the dense vegetation, "fuel", that would burn in a wildfire. The crews worked long hours clearing over 1.5 miles and 40 acres of trees and undergrowth to maintain critical fire breaks, potentially limiting the spread of a fire burning through the area.

The crews accumulated over 100 slash piles to be burned this winter in and around the community of Pine Lake and Hualapai Mountain Park. This work is being done as part of a joint fire safety partnership the BLM has with Hualapai Mountain Park, Mohave County Emergency Management, and the local community to reduce wildfire risk in the area.

 “We greatly appreciate having the Bonneville crew here to complete fuels work that significantly improves our ability to protect the community during a wildfire,” said BLM Fire Management Officer Wade Reaves.

The Bonneville Hotshots camped near the project area and operated as a "module of one" while safely following COVID-19 preventative measures. The crew was also available for fire assignments while working in the Hualapai Mountains, and responded to local fires, supporting CRD firefighters in their suppression efforts.   

The Colorado River District would like to thank Bonneville IHC for their hard work in completing this critical fire mitigation project!