Post-fire erosion, southeastern Arizona. Fire-related severe erosion in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona. This new arroyo was created following the 1996 Rattlesnake Fire. The arroyo is approximately 10 meters deep and 30 meters wide. The exposed sediments seen at the bottom of the photo are estimated to be approximately 100,000 years old. Given the buildup in fuels in southwestern ponderosa pine forests and the extremes in precipitation following sequences of strong La Niña and El Niño episodes, it is alarming, but not surprising that such severe erosion occurs following stand-replacing fires.