The fire overall stayed quiet again today with the exception of the southeast side which has been active over the last 48 hours. However, a hotshot crew and Type 2-IA hand crew successfully established hand line along that flank of the fire today before being pulled off the line due to incoming, afternoon thunderstorms. Hand crews with the help of a dozer were also able to get line around structures in the Washington Park area, at Shadow Rim Camp, and along Forest Road 32.
Work also continued to improve and strengthen existing fuel breaks in the area. The fuel breaks help safeguard communities and help slow, and often times stop a fire’s progression. Crews also worked to finish containment line on the south and west sides and strengthen line already constructed. A reconnaissance flight today reported a few smokes on the northwestern side and a helicopter was used to provide bucket work to help suppress those hotspots. On the north side, on the Mogollon Rim, crews strengthened and improved containment line after fire slopped over the line yesterday. Also on the north side, resources focused on prepping Forest Road 300 in the event the fire makes a push to the north and northwest.
The proactive prep work allows crews to use the road as a control feature for firing operations to help suppress the fire. This morning’s aerial recon also assisted as a mapping mission. The GPS flight reported the fire at 279 acres. An Emergency Closure Order is now in effect for the fire area. The closure order, issued by the Coconino and Tonto National Forests, provides for public health and safety due to firefighting operations and fire danger associated with the Brady Fire on the two forests. In addition, Stage 1 fire restrictions remain in effect on Arizona State Trust lands and within the Tonto and Coconino National Forests. Under Stage 1 restrictions, campfires are allowed only within a designated and developed campsite.
Thursday, the Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM) and the Tonto National Forest transfer command of the fire to the Central West Zone Type 3 Incident Management Team.