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Arizona wildfire expected to nearly triple in size

By WTOP Staff

FELICIA FONSECA
Associated Press

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — A wildfire burning in a scenic Arizona canyon is expected to nearly triple in size as crews scramble to get the upper hand in less rugged terrain.

Fire managers plan to let the flames that have been climbing and swirling about the canyon walls burn through flatter lands and into a sort of catcher’s mitt to the north and the west, Deputy Incident Commander Pruett Small said Friday. That means the fire could grow to nearly 36 square miles if rain doesn’t stop it.

“This is the roughest country in America,” he said. “We can’t send firefighters right next to the black and march them up a hill. We have to go around to the top and make a big box.”

The goals for fire managers are to protect the 300 structures threatened in Oak Creek Canyon, keep the fire from pushing into the communities of Forest Highlands and Kachina Village to the east, and minimize the potential for flooding.

Fire managers said the blaze has cost $2.2 million to fight as of Friday and might take up to 10 more days to fully control.

Firefighters took advantage of cool and calm weather Friday to carry out plans to choke off the blaze as Memorial Day travelers were forced to alter their travel plans because of the fire.

Hotshot crews marched along a winding highway that is a key front in their effort and set fire to the ground to rob the wildfire of fuel and keep it from crossing the road. Helicopters dropped explosive chemicals in the steepest parts of the canyon that firefighters can’t reach. Crews on the plateau widened lines to the northwest where the fire was spreading.

“There might be a huge spike in size, but we want the public to know we’re controlling the fire,” fire spokesman Dillon Winiecki said “We are fighting it on our own terms.”

The human-caused Slide Fire started Tuesday and by Friday had burned more than 11 square miles in and around Oak Creek Canyon, a scenic recreation area along the highway between Sedona and Flagstaff that normally would be filled with tourists as Memorial Day approaches. The cause is under investigation, but a campfire has been ruled out, said Coconino National Forest spokeswoman Heather Noel.

Slide Rock State Park is among the destinations that are closed. It is one of the most-visited tourist spots in Arizona, with swimming holes and natural water slides that draw tens of thousands of people during summer months.

Weather conditions for the fire over the next several days look favorable, with increased humidity and a chance of rain. Firefighters have established containment lines around 5 percent of the fire nearest to where it started just north of Slide Rock State Park.

Their work also included creating buffer zones around resorts and homes, putting in a sprinkler system around a fish hatchery in the canyon and quickly knocking down spot fires that escaped the main blaze.

Some 900 firefighters were assigned to the fire Friday.

The fire was moving away from Sedona, but that didn’t ease concerns of business owners who worry the blaze will keep customers away from the premier tourist destination over the weekend.

The Sedona Chamber of Commerce has been fielding hundreds of inquiries via telephone and social media from people wondering if they should still visit during the holiday weekend and inquiring about the air quality, officials said.

Chamber of Commerce President Jennifer Wesselhoff said smoke from the fire has been visible from about 3 a.m. to 9 a.m., but the skies clear up as soon as the sun emerges. She said visitors can still go hiking along more than 200 miles of trails.

Evacuations remain in place for a 2-mile stretch north of Slide Rock, and Highway 89A between Flagstaff and Sedona is closed. The fire was 3 to 3 ½ miles away from the residential areas of Forest Highlands and Kachina Village, where 3,200 residents remained under pre-evacuation warnings.

No injuries have been reported as a result of the fire. No structures have burned.

___

Associated Press writers Brian Skoloff, Paul Davenport, Terry Tang and Walter Berry in Phoenix contributed to this report.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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