The Boundary Fire was a 2017 wildfire in Arizona that burned 17,788 acres (7,199 ha) of the Coconino

and Kaibab National Forests. The fire was ignited on June 1 when lightning struck a spot on the
northeast side of Kendrick Peak within the Coconino National Forest. The fire spread rapidly because of
high temperatures, steep terrain, leftovers from a wildfire in 2000 and high wind speeds.

The winds blew smoke over local communities and infrastructure, leading to the closure of U.S. Route
180 from June 8 to June 21. Smoke was also visible from the Grand Canyon. The Boundary Fire burned
out on July 3, 2017, after 32 days of firefighting. The cost of managing the fire was $9.4 million
(equivalent to $11.5 million in 2023). Damage to the area's foliage increased the risk of landslides into
2018.

Background

Wildfires are a natural part of the ecological cycle of the Southwestern United States,[1]: 3–6 but human-
induced climate change has caused them to increase in number, destructiveness, duration, and
frequency. [2] Fire suppression efforts can also have the contradictory effect of worsening the effects of
fires that do occur. [3] The Boundary Fire was one of 2,321 wildfires that burned 429,564 acres
(173,838 ha) in Arizona in 2017. [4] In a report released in April 2017, about a month before the fire,
Arizona State Forester Jeff Whitney expected a typical season in the state's northern forests but one
with high fire potential in the state's southern grasslands because of high temperatures, low humidity,
and an abundance of fuels. [5] Temperatures in Arizona were higher than usual through the 2017
season;[6]: 1 on July 4, the National Weather Service stated that that year's June was the fifth-hottest
recorded in the city of Flagstaff, which sits between the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests.[7][8]
According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, Flagstaff recorded temperatures of up to
120 °F (49 °C) between June 12 and June 27.[9] By August, wildfires had burned the most land since the
2011 season.[10]

Progression

The Boundary Fire was sparked when lightning struck the northeast slope of Kendrick Peak, within
Coconino National Forest, at about 2:02 pm on June 1, 2017. [11] The fire grew to 380 acres (150 ha) by
June 6. Owing to the danger posed to firefighters by difficult terrain and leftover dead trees from the
Pumpkin Fire in 2000, the United States Forest Service (USFS) decided to confine the Boundary Fire to a
15,000-acre (6,100 ha) area around the mountain and allow it to burn out naturally. Firefighters began
creating firebreaks along roads in the area on June 6, especially to the west of the fire. [12][13] On June 8,
high winds fanned the fire over the firebreaks to its north and towards U.S. Route 180 (US 180), 2 mi
(3.2 km) from the fire at that time. [14][15][16] That night, fire managers closed US 180 as firefighters
monitored the fire's spread. [15][17][18] Smoke from the Boundary Fire drifted into communities
surrounding the fire, such as Flagstaff, and was visible from the Grand Canyon, approximately 65 mi
(105 km) north of Flagstaff. [17][19][20]

By June 9, the Boundary Fire had grown to 1,550 acres (630 ha) and was burning along US 180 and
within both Coconino and Kaibab National Forests.[17] Fanned by strong winds on June 10 and 11, the
fire swelled to 4,420 acres (1,790 ha) and was being managed by 261 firefighters. [21][22][23] After June 12,
reduced winds enabled the USFS to use aerial ignition, a form of controlled burn, to spread the fire
uphill more quickly, reducing the damage to the soil from the fire. [24] By June 14, the fire had grown to
5,784 acres (2,341 ha) and was being managed by almost 500 firefighters with aerial firefighting
assets.[24][25] Low wind speeds allowed ground crews and aerial assets to continue with controlled burns
from June 15 to June 19,[26][27][28][29] ahead of forecasted high temperatures in the following days. By
June 19, the fire had burned 8,067 acres (3,265 ha).[30] The next day brought light rain, cloud cover, and
a higher humidity, which caused the fire to burn lower to the ground and consume detritus rather than
foliage. Firefighters were able to secure fire breaks and private property, increasing the portion of the
fire that was contained from 18% to 30%. [31]

The visibility along US 180 had improved enough by June 21 to allow the Arizona Department of
Transportation to reopen the road with reduced speed limits. [32] On June 22, firefighters raised
containment of the Boundary Fire to 42 percent despite high winds and temperatures that fanned it to
11,540 acres (4,670 ha).[33] On June 23, the USFS stated that it believed the area closed by the fire could
expand to 18,000 acres (7,300 ha),[34] but made progress in containing its spread. [35][36] By June 25, the
fire had grown to 17,049 acres (6,899 ha) but was 88 percent contained,[37] and temperatures dipped to
88 °F (31 °C).[38] Aerial firefighting assets were temporarily grounded on June 25 because a civilian drone
flew over the fire. [39] The fire burned out on July 3.[6]: 14

Aftermath

The Boundary Fire burned 17,788 acres (7,199 ha) over 32 days and cost $9.4 million (equivalent to
$11.5 million in 2023) to suppress. [6]: 14 [11][40] Of the total area burned, three percent suffered total
foliage mortality. No structures were damaged or destroyed. Four evacuated civilians suffered injuries
related to the fire. [6]: 14–15 Almost 500 firefighters worked to contain and suppress the Boundary Fire at
its height.[41] Due to the smoke from the Boundary Fire and plans for a later prescribed burn, the USFS
decided to quickly suppress the Government Fire when it ignited "a few miles away" in the same
season.[42]: 10

Environmental consequences

Trails on Kendrick Peak did not reopen until September 14, 2017, because of the potential for landslides
caused by heavy rains brought by the North American monsoon.[43] The Kaibab National Forest
Supervisor stated that the closure was prolonged to "allow the landscape to stabilize during the
immediate post-fire period", particularly with the added monsoon conditions. [44] Forest Road 149, near
Kendrick Peak, was closed again in July 2018 because the area was at risk for landslides, as stabilizing
foliage growth after the Boundary Fire had been slow in that area. [45]

The base camp for fighting the Boundary Fire was located at a nearby fairground. [46]: 10 When the
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) visited the site for an audit on June 19, 2017, the camp
was consuming 106 US gallons (400 L) of diesel fuel per day for lighting, electricity, and food
preservation, as well as 2,250 US gallons (8,500 L) of water.[46]: 10–12 The audit also found that 5% of the
waste was recycled and all of the batteries were single-use.[46]: 12