Fire managers on the Williams Ranger District are planning to kick off the 2024 fall prescribed fire season the first week of October, likely starting with the Three Sisters Prescribed Fire Project located just north of the City of Williams and Interstate 40, south of forest road 124, between Airport Road and the west side of Highway 64. Pending favorable conditions, crews anticipate beginning ignitions on Monday September 30th. This project has been active since 2019 and managers are hopeful to complete the final three units totaling just under 3000 acres in approximately...
Emergency Bulletins
9/28/2024 - 2:52 pm
9/28/2024 - 12:04 pm
Yesterday, Gila County Division of Emergency Management lowered evacuation levels around the fire to READY status, meaning be aware of hazards and have a plan in the event of an evacuation order. Crews monitored fire burning in the interior, naturally cleaning up remaining fuel on the ground. Work to return fire equipment and supplies from the line continues and is expected to be complete by September 29. Fire managers met with the Burned Area Emergency Response team members to begin the work of preparing for possible erosion and needed repairs to the fire area. Today, crews will...
9/27/2024 - 11:37 am
West Fire | Type 3 team | fireline work | smoke | ash | Pine | Geronimo Estates | aerial ignition | unburned fuels | equipment backhaul | dozer line | hand line | 646 Road | fire damage | nighttime flames | evacuation status | fire repair.
Operations: The Gila County Sheriff’s Office and fire management team members assessed evacuation levels for Pine and Geronimo Estates and have downgraded them to READY as of today, September 27. Fire personnel will continue to monitor the fire and ignitions have ceased. Expect interior burning and smoke as fuels dry during the weekend. Fireline repair continues in order to prevent user-created trails where hand crews and equipment have disturbed soils. Crews will remove hazard trees today along FSR 64 to enhance firefighter and public safety when the road reopens....
9/27/2024 - 9:50 am
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality has issued an Ozone High Pollution Advisory (HPA) for Friday, September 27.
Take Action
- Drive less, carpool, use public transit, or telecommute. For information on transportation alternatives, visit ShareTheRide.com.
- Fuel your vehicle after dark or during cooler evening hours.
- Reduce wait time in long drive-thru lines. Park your vehicle and walk inside at coffee shops, fast-food restaurants, curbside pick-up, and banks.
- Use low-VOCs (volatile...
9/26/2024 - 11:59 am
West Fire | Type 3 team | fireline work | smoke | ash | Pine | Geronimo Estates | aerial ignition | unburned fuels | equipment backhaul | dozer line | hand line | 646 Road | fire damage | nighttime flames | evacuation status | fire repair.
Yesterday fire crews successfully hand-ignited a twenty-acre section on the southern edge of the fire to secure fire line in that area. In the interior, fire consumed dead and down fuel in a natural way clearing the forest floor from buildups of vegetation that can contribute to catastrophic future fires, helping to protect the communities of Pine and Geronimo Estates. Today, crews will burn and monitor brush piles east of the Pine Trailhead to further secure the line as opportunity allows. More containment is expected near Geronimo Estates in the next day or two. The fire team plans to...
