Yesterday conditions were favorable for burning. On the West Fire, firefighters worked east on Milk Ranch Road from the Webber Creek drainage adding fire inside the containment lines to consume the buildup of fuels. They also used UAS and a helicopter with ignition capabilities for efficiency and safety in the challenging terrain of East Webber Creek. On the Preacher Fire, firefighters were able to add fire along the Control Road south of Tonto Village all the way down to the powerlines. They also worked igniting off Diamond Point Road near the Diamond Point Summer Homes southwest to the...
Emergency Bulletins
9/10/2024 - 10:13 am
9/09/2024 - 10:11 am
Ignitions began yesterday on both the West and Preacher Fires. On the West Fire, south-facing slopes and areas exposed to sun and wind were receptive to ignitions, which began in the West Webber Creek drainage. Mastication of fuels along the Control Road just north of Geronimo Estates continued. On Preacher, the Control Road near Tonto Village was still not dry enough to carry fire, so crews began lighting from the active fire’s edge along the Diamond Point Road and headed south towards Diamond Point. Engines worked across all the communities to finish installing hoses and testing them as...
9/08/2024 - 10:04 am
Yesterday firefighters put the finishing touches on the prep work around Preacher Fire. On the West Fire, the remaining work removing fuels on Milk Ranch Road, finalizing structure protection plans in Camp Geronimo and completing dozer line east of Pine remained the focus.
Despite the moisture, fire managers plan to test ignitions today. Winds predominately out of the southwest over the next several days provide a good opportunity to begin. With ignitions beginning, residents should expect to see increased smoke production from both fires starting mid-day. Southwest winds should...
9/07/2024 - 12:55 pm
Preparation of firelines on both fires is nearly complete. The safest, most effective and ecologically beneficial way to contain these fires is by using ignitions. Using fire to reduce overgrown forests will also provide future protection from wildfires that may be more difficult to suppress. Aerial and hand ignitions are expected to begin on Sunday, Sept. 8 for both the West and Preacher fires. Ignitions will happen in a strategic way to reduce smoke impacts, ease the fire to the containment lines and achieve desirable ecological outcomes. On the West Fire, ignitions are anticipated to...
9/06/2024 - 11:08 am
The Tonto National Forest and SW Area Incident Management Team will be holding a public meeting on Friday, September 6, 2024 at 6 p.m. at the Pine Community Center 3872 AZ-87, Pine, AZ, 85544. The public meeting will be in person and streamed through the Tonto National Forest Facebook page: @TontoNationalForest. If by chance we run into problems streaming, the meeting will be recorded and uploaded to view later.
Operations:
West Fire - 28 Acres: Removal of fuels along Milk Ranch Road...
