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Wildfire At Gulf State Park Grows To 560 Acres
by WKRG Staff
Published: Sat, June 25, 2011 - 1:34 pm CST Last Updated: Tue, June 28, 2011 - 1:28 pm CST
UPDATE A Chinook helicopter, which will drop 2,000 gallons of water on the fire per load, has landed in Gulf Shores.
GULF SHORES, Alabama - 1:28 p.m. Tuesday
The Alabama Forestry Commission estimates the fire has now burned 560 acres.
Firefighters are shooting flares into areas they can't reach on foot, trying to start a back burn.
1:13 p.m. Tuesday
Rain is hampering relief efforts. It's not enough to douse the 500 acre wildfire, but the rain did smolder the back burn.
The Alabama National Guard Chinook helicopter arrived from Birmingham about 12:15 p.m. Equipped with a bucket on loan from the Mississippi National Guard, the Chinook can drop 2,000 gallons of water on the fire.
Crews are hoping the rain will let up enough to set the second fire and create a "burn out"
7:23 a.m. Tuesday
The first back burn is under way. The Chinooks are scheduled to arrive around 1:00 p.m.
1:50 a.m. Tuesday
Firefighters will get very aggressive with the fire later today. Around 6:00 a.m., they will set a back burn along the Gulf Oak Ridge Trail, which is on the the west side of Gulf State park.
Two Chinook helicopters should arrive around 11:00 a.m. They can each dump four times more water with each drop than the DPS helicopter currently being used.
Late in the afternoon, firefighters will light a second fire near the campgrounds. When the two converge, they will create a "burnout." The fire burns up all the fuel (trees, brush, etc), leaving the wildfire nothing else to consume. Without the burnout, the 500 acre wildfire could burn for a few more weeks.
8:00 p.m. Monday
State trooper pilots have made hundreds of “drops” using the DPS’s Bell 407 helicopter equipped with a 180-gallon “bambi bucket” to dump more than 70,000 gallons of water onto the wildfire.
5:47 p.m. Monday
Governor Robert Bentley has declared a State of Emergency in Baldwin County. The declaration will free up more state resources to contain the fire as quickly as possible.
“Local officials are working around the clock to contain this fire, and I am hopeful they will be successful,” said Governor Bentley. “The fires have not affected the beaches of Gulf Shores or Orange Beach. I want to encourage people who have plans to travel to the gulf for the upcoming holiday to continue with their vacation plans.”
Governor Bentley has directed the Alabama Emergency Management Agency and the Alabama Forestry Commission to provide the necessary assessment of damages and seek state and federal assistance for the affected areas.
3:43 p.m. Monday
The wildfire has now burned 500 acres.
3:31 p.m. Monday
The wildfires are taking a toll on Orange Beach businesses. People are not shopping because of all the smoke.
3:05 p.m. Monday
The Alabama National Guard is bringing two Chinook helicoptersto help battle the fire.
Right now, firefighters are depending on a Department of Public Safety helicopter to dump buckets of water on the 400 acre wildfire. It can only hold 185 gallons. Each Chinook can hold up to 750 gallons of water. That will nearly double the amount of water on each drop.
Monday 3:30 a.m.
Chief Wesley McConnell says there were no problems overnight. The smoke is still heavy across the area. Crews did encounter a flare up now and then throughout the night, but they were able to keep on top of them. Chief McConnell says they are just waiting to see if the wind will shift as the sun comes up.
Update 9:40 p.m. Sunday
It may be a couple days before this fire is out. Battalion Chief Jeff Smith says the fire is contained but certainly not under control. Because of high winds in the afternoon they had two instances of the fire jumping Canal road. The first instance near the Wharf was put out quickly. The second instance near a veterinary clinic is contained.
Smith says there are no evacuations at this time and no reports of major property damage. He says homeowners living near the fire should keep an eye on the situation and be ready to move if things change.
While it was windy in the afternoon, things seemed to have calmed down after dark. That’s good for firefighters who need calm winds for the fire to stay in one place. The only injury reported was from an Alabama State Forester who was stung by some sort of insect. He had an adverse reaction and was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The fire continues to eat up park land. The Alabama Forestry Commission estimates 400 acres have burned so far.
Sunday 7:00 p.m.
The wildfire has surrounded the command post at the Orange Beach Sportsplex. The road leading to the sportsplex, William Silvers Pkwy/Public Works Road
Firemen battling the fire at William Silvers Pkwy
Courtesy: The Orange Beach Community Website
View of the Orange Beach Sportsplex on Saturday evening
Courtesy: Joe Boyington
Sunday 5:30 p.m.
Wildfire has jumped Canal Road and is burning a wooded area near The Wharf. Heavy smoke, fire and emergency crews in the area.
Canal Road West
Courtesy: Barbara Pearson
Update 3:40 p.m.
Crews continue to try and keep the wildfire in south Baldwin County contained. The major concern now is keeping it away from businesses along Canal Road between Money Bayou Drive and William Silver Parkway.
Chief Forney Howard says the fire jumped a line and set a city debris pile on fire. He says that’s under control. At this time no homes are threatened.
Over on the Gulf Shores side of the blaze Alabama State Foresters try cutting lines to keep the fire contained. Winds have picked up and created some concern about the fire spreading. Foresters say they lost one bulldozer. It got stuck as the fire got closer.
Click here to see live video of the fire.
Earlier this morning the fire ruptured a gas line but that appeared under control.
A State Trooper helicopter continues to drop water on the fire to make up for a lack of rain.
Dead trees from Hurricane Ivan continue to become fuel for the fire at the Gulf State Park.
Update 11:49 a.m.
Orange Beach Fire officials remain optimistic that this wildfire will remain under control today. The chief says members of the State Forestry Commission are building more fire breaks on the west side of the blaze.
Officials say homes that were being threatened Saturday are safe at this time. There are no orders to evacuate Orange Beach homes but Police will notify homeowners if the situation changes.
So far the only structure to be damaged is part of a bridge on the edge of a ball field at the Orange Beach Sportsplex. No injuries have been reported. An exact cause has not been determined. They do know it started on the campgrounds of Gulf State Park. Officials estimate somewhere between 175-200 acres have been burned.
This is a picture of the only damaged structure.
There are still small fires smoldering throughout the edge of the Orange Beach Sportsplex.
Officials say they worked hard to protect the new Orange Beach sewage facility overnight, that does not appear to be damaged.
Sunday 7:30 a.m.
Orange Beach firefighter Wade Stevens says back burning efforts overnight were relatively successful. He says the wildfire is still contained and that weather conditions overnight were favorable to firefighters.
Aerial drops of water from helicopters will resume this morning. Stevens says there were a couple spots where spot fires jumped the line of the main fire but they too have been contained. There are no evacuations at this time except for a portion of the Gulf State Park.
People living in housing developments in Orange Beach near the fire should be advised there still is a danger today. The homes are considered safe at this time but homeowners should be alert still today if the direction or intensity of fire changes.
Sunday 12:19 a.m.
The Alabama Forestry Commission call this "a dangerous fire." Overnight, they are starting what's called a backfire in hopes of keeping it contained. The forestry commission will bring in fresh firefighters tomorrow morning.
News 5's Chad Petri will be back out on the scene tomorrow morning.
Video of the fire Saturday night
Wildfire at 11:00 p.m. (5/25) from the Seawind condo
Courtesy of News 5 Facebook fan Suzanne Simpson
9:21 p.m.
The fire is contained but not under control.
Wharf marina
Courtesy: Ken Cooper
8:25 p.m.
Residents of the Beaver Creek Subdivision have been told to be ready to evacuate
7:41 p.m.
Orange Beach Fire Chief Forney Howard says the 250 acre wildfire should be contained within one hour. Firefighters are using helicopters to drop buckets of water on the flames.
7:37 p.m.
Only the campgrounds located in the east end of Gulf State Park are being evacuated.
5:20 p.m.
The wildfire is now 200 acres. It started as a small 2-3 acre wildfire around lunchtime.
5:10 p.m.
The entire campground at Gulf State park is now being evacuated.
4:27 p.m.
The Orange Beach Fire Department is evacuating people who live in the Azalea Village Mobile Home Park on Canal Road.
3:37 p.m.
Gulf State Park Director Mike Guinn says the fire is now spreading in all directions. They are evacuating 100 camp sites.
2:58 p.m.
City of Orange beach firefighters have been called into assist. They will set backfires.
1:36 p.m.
The fire started near the camp grounds and is moving north to north east.
At this time, no homes or structures are in danger. But the smoke can be seen for miles.
Hwy 59 in Gulf Shores
Courtesy of News 5 Facebook fan Misty Destin Holifield
View from the canal
Courtesy of News 5 Facebook fan Emily Burke
Courtesy: www.OrangeBeach.ws and Trident Aircraft Flight School
Courtesy: www.OrangeBeach.ws and Trident Aircraft Flight School
Courtesy: www.OrangeBeach.ws and Trident Aircraft Flight School
View of the smoke from Azalea Village RV Resort on Canal Road in Orange Beach
Courtesy: News 5's Debbie Williams
View of the smoke from Azalea Village Mobile Home Park on Canal Road in Orange Beach
Courtesy: News 5's Debbie Williams
View of the smoke from Azalea Village Mobile Home Park on Canal Road in Orange Beach
Courtesy: News 5's Debbie Williams
View of the smoke from Azalea Village Mobile Home Park on Canal Road in Orange Beach
Courtesy: News 5's Debbie Williams
Courtesy: News 5's Debbie Williams
Courtesy: News 5's Debbie Williams
Courtesy: News 5's Debbie Williams
Courtesy: News 5's Debbie Williams
View from Michigan Ave & CR65 in Foley
Courtesy of News 5 Facebook fan Joey Neighbors
View from Phoenix III condos in Orange Beach
Courtesy: Scott Passmore
View from the 21st floor of the Phoenix West condos
Courtesy: Jay Moneyhun
View from Lake Shelby
Courtesy: Scott Passmore
View 15th floor Phoenix 4
Courtesy of News 5 Facebook fan Audra Brooks
View from Foley Beach Express toll booth
Courtesy: News 5's Pat Peterson
View from County Road 6 in Gulf Shores - about 5 miles away from fire
Courtesy: News 5's Pat Peterson
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State of Emergency declared for Baldwin Co.
Wildfire possibly started by grill ember
Updated: Tuesday, 28 Jun 2011, 8:38 AM CDT, Published : Monday, 27 Jun 2011, 8:53 PM CDT, Libby Amos , www.fox10tv.com
GULF SHORES, Ala. (WALA) - Officials aren't 100 percent sure, but they have a very good idea of what started the fire.
Gulf Shores State Park Superintendent Mike Guinn said an ember from a grill is more than likely what caused the massive fire in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach to start.
Guinn said they have no proof, but he does know charcoal is not to blame for the blaze.
The fire started in Gulf State Park Saturday and has burned 500 to 600 acres.
Guinn said a group from out of town was camping and grilling out. He said he believes that the grill was the origin of the fire.
"The best we can figure out is possibly a hot ember came out of the grill, but nobody dumped anything. In fact, there would have been positive evidence of that. In fact, the coals are still in the grill," said Guinn.
It was suspected that charcoal was dumped out and was to blame for the blaze. Guinn said that rumor is not true, but that the fire could have been avoided.
Guinn said, "He did leave the grill unattended for about three hours before we got the call."
According to the Regional Alabama Forester, Gary Cole, the fire is about 80 to 90 percent contained. Cole said the remaining 20 percent is the most dangerous part of the fire.
Strategic planning for the morning is going on well into the night, and executing the plan is critical in containing that last part of the fire to prevent homes and businesses from being affected.
The plan for Tuesday morning is to burn what officials call "fuel." That's any other wooded areas that would feed the fire and give it more power. The idea is to burn areas in a controlled environment versus letting the fire take them over and continue burning. Tuesday morning's plan is not a "last option," but crews are putting a lot faith into the burn off plan.
Cole said, "Tomorrow morning, if everything goes right, we plan to do what we call a burn out and bring helicopters and water buckets and personnel on hand. The volunteer fire departments will be here, and we will have a controlled atmosphere, and we can actually set fire and let it all burn down into this area and let it burn completely out."
When it's all said and done, a fire that started from a small ember will have burned a large portion of the woods at the beach.
"It could be as much as a 1,000 acres. It's unfortunate that we have to burn this area, but we are trying to protect property and lives," Cole said.
Governor Bentley declared a State of Emergency for Baldwin County due to the fire. State resources are being used to contain the fire as quickly as possible.
“Local officials are working around the clock to contain this fire, and I am hopeful they will be successful,” said Governor Bentley. “The fires have not affected the beaches of Gulf Shores or Orange Beach. I want to encourage people who have plans to travel to the gulf for the upcoming holiday to continue with their vacation plans.”
Governor Bentley has directed the Alabama Emergency Management Agency and Alabama Forestry Commission to provide the necessary assessment of damages and seek state and federal assistance for the affected areas.
Pleasure Island tourism figures show beach numbers way up from 2010
Published: Wednesday, June 15, 2011, 6:31 AM Updated: Wednesday, June 15, 2011, 7:02 AM, David Ferrara, Mobile-Press Register.
GULF
SHORES, Alabama -- For fun,
Pleasure Island tourism
industry leaders like to perform what they call “parking lot
research.”
It’s hardly scientific, but it can be a good indicator of what kind of revenue to expect for a given season.
They get to see how full the lots are, and by checking the license plates, they also get an idea of how far visitors have traveled. And from October through April, despite the all-too-recent BP oil spill, the lots filled up.
“You kind of get a sense that there are pockets of people who are brand-new to the area,” said Mike Foster, vice president of marketing for Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism.
The tourism group reported Tuesday that each of the 7 months — often some of the slowest for the area — saw an increase in lodging and retail sales tax revenue over the previous year. Winter lodging revenue, meanwhile, was higher than it’s ever been, reaching $20.7 million. That figure surpassed the winter total of $17.5 million from 2007, the strongest fiscal year on record.
“To beat our previous benchmark year, even if it’s only for one season, is a testament to the synergism of this island,” said Herb Malone, president and chief executive officer of the visitors’ bureau.
The December-through-February lodging revenue was 5.1 percent higher than the previous year, and March and April in 2011 showed a 9 percent increase over 2010, according to a report issued Tuesday by the tourism group.
Pleasure Island business revenues highest in summer
months
In April alone, retail sales figures
were 19.7 percent higher than the same month in 2010.
“The figures show just how loyal our customer base is,” Malone said. “They supported us in full force during the tough times, and thanks to their loyalty and an intense marketing campaign, we saw October 2010 numbers come in on the positive side, a trend that we can happily say continued for the next seven months.”
A
sea of umbrellas shades the hot sun from beach goers at Gulf
Shores Public Beach on May 29,2011 during Memorial Day
weekend. (Press-Register, Kate Mercer)
Officials say they still haven’t completely moved past the lingering effects of last year’s oil spill, which crippled the summer’s beach tourism.
June, July and August typically account for about 70 percent of the entire business for the year on Pleasure Island, they said.
But Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft called the rise in revenue “a hopeful look at what appears to be a really good trend, so far,” because the jump is also spilling over to Baldwin’s two beach communities.
Craft said that Gulf Shores saw a 12 percent increase in tax collections from January through April.
“There was a feeling of recovery that was certainly in the air,” he said.
Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon said he had noticed crowds returning from late fall through the spring.
“It’s an indication of pent-up demand,” he said. “People want to come to the beach, they want to boat, they want to fish.
He’s encouraged by the figures released this week.
“But at the same time, it’s not the same crowd we have during the summer,” he said. “That is a different group of folks. The ones we lost to another resort last year. I’m very optimistic, but I just want us to continue to work extremely hard.
“I just don’t want us to let down our guard when it comes to that aspect of being a tourist destination.”
Craft agreed.
“Until we get summer behind us, I’m not going to relax,” he said. “We’ve got to keep the red carpet out and keep the hospitality flowing.”
Officials are still awaiting figures for May that saw considerable crowds during the Hangout Music Festival and Memorial Day weekend. In the meantime, they’re doing a little parking lot research to see what the summer might bring.
“I have a very, very good strong feeling about the numbers we’re going to see at the end of the year,” Foster said.
Baldwin County real estate sales are just Beachy
Published: Sunday, June 12, 2011, 8:00 AM Updated: Sunday, June 12, 2011, 8:30 AM -
Vacationers
are returning to Alabama's beaches this summer, and more of them
are making real estate investments there, a year after the Gulf
oil spill ravaged the market.
Baldwin County, bolstered by improving condo sales along the now cleaned-up beaches, currently leads the state in year-over-year gains in overall home sales, according to the latest data from the Alabama Center for Real Estate.
Through the first four months of this year, the county's home sales totaled 1,203, up 14 percent over the same time period last year. In April, condo sales alone rose to 127, up 21 percent from a year ago.
"Our real estate colleagues along the beach share that this momentum continued in May with significant buyer traffic and that the condo market should continue to improve over the summer," said Grayson Glaze, executive director of ACRE, which is located at the University of Alabama.
Prices also are on the rise, at least where condos are concerned. While the overall average selling price in Baldwin County through April is flat compared to a year ago, the year-to-date average condo price has risen 11 percent, to $261,866.
The numbers are especially promising, considering that a rally was on in the condo market during the spring of last year, as buyers were shaking off the effects of the global financial crisis.
Then the oil spill hit in late April and wrecked that movement, so future year-over-year comparisons should be even more significant.
Birmingham real estate analyst Tom Brander, who compiles a monthly coastal home sales report based on the Baldwin County Multiple Listing Service area, cited last year's pre-oil spill improvements in his April report.
"This year I am seeing the same positive pattern emerge, so hopefully with no disasters we should see a decent market," he wrote in his blog.
Despite this year's uptick, prices remain far off the norms seen during the super-heated housing markets of 2006 and 2007, when average monthly condo prices were regularly in the $300,000 and $400,000 range and sometimes topped $500,000.
But those prices started falling long before last year's oil spill.
Meanwhile, rentals also are up this summer, and there are fewer questions about clean beaches.
"In January and February, some people were asking, but that's not asked anymore," said Marie Curren, director of marketing and reservations for real estate firm Brett/Robinson.
So far this year, Brett/Robinson rentals, which include nearly 2,000 condos in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, are up 10 percent over 2009, which was the last decent year.
"We were very anxious as Spring Break rolled around, would they come or would they not?" Curren said. "The booking window got very tight."
And that window, measured as the time between the reservation booking and the day of arrival, remains tighter than normal this summer, she added.
In the old days, the average person made a reservation 30 days out. Now, about 35 to 40 percent of all reservations are booked within six days of the arrival date.
Curren attributes the trend to the busy summer schedules of moms, dads and children, and the sometimes-difficult task of getting everyone on the same page.
There's also the tough economy, accompanied by the desire to spend hard-earned and hard-saved money well.
"Of the people who come to our area, 95 percent are drive-ins, and they're tying into the weather," she said. "If it's not going to be nice, they'll say, 'We'll just go next weekend.'"
Curren said business also is improving at Brett/Robinson's sales division, to the tune of 25 to 30 percent compared to 2009. The company doesn't use 2010 as a benchmark because the disaster skews comparisons.
"In 2010, we were experiencing a rally of interest and purchases and then the oil spill hit and devastated everything," she said.
Now that Alabama's beaches are clean, a positive attitude has returned among buyers interested in coastal real estate, said Jeff McLaurin, Alabama broker with ResortQuest Real Estate.
Most of the buyers McLaurin is seeing are cash buyers, and there also are some new faces.
For instance, the dramatic price drops in recent years have made beach front property, as well as beach-area property, more accessible to people who couldn't afford it previously.
"It's attracted a different group of second home owners," he said. "A lot of people are buying off the beach just to have a place at the beach, and they're not counting on rental income."
On Memorial Day weekend, Alabama's beaches were busy, McLaurin said, and there was more boat traffic than he had seen in years.
"It's been a long time since I've seen a Memorial Day like that one," he said. "The fear factor of the oil spill has obviously gone away."
Let's make a condo deal at the Gulf; cash buyers flock to coast
Published: Sunday, June 12, 2011, 5:23 AM , By Kathy Jumper, Mobile Press-Register
June 14, 2011 - Email
