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Chiricahua Mountains Study Area

The Chiricahua Mountains are located in extreme southeastern Arizona along the border with New Mexico, about 18 miles north of Mexico. These mountains range in elevation from 3,600 feet in the valley and rise to 9,760 feet at the summit of Flys Peak.

Vegetation in the Chiricahua Mountains is similar to both the Catalina and Huachuca Mountains. At lower elevations, semi-desert mixed grass, mixed scrub, and Chichuahuan Creosote bush dominate. As elevation increases, the semi-desert mixed grasses give way to mixed oak and pine chaparral-type vegetation, finally climaxing at the highest elevations in Ponderosa pine and Douglas Fir communities. The U.S. Forest Service owns about 24% of the land, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) owns 7%, and another 21% is in private hands.

The Chiricahuas only have one nearby population center, Wilcox (population 3,733), as well as a few other smaller communities. However, none of these directly contact the forest. The Chiricahua Mountains are particularly important to this study because they provide a baseline against which the other areas can be compared. These mountains are located in a primarily rural and agricultural area. They will serve as a source of data on how people impact the ignition and size of wildfires before urbanization of the surrounding area.

Climate

Average Precipitation:
Average High/Low Winter Temperatures (°F):
Average High/Low Summer Temperatures (°F):

Fire History

Map of fire boundaries and stats for major fires can be found on the Fire History page.

Land Use

Much of the land surrounding the Chiricahua Mountains is privately owned, but has not yet been developed. The closest urban area, Willcox, AZ, is outside of the study area.