Yesterday, crews continued working along the FSRD 411 westward to Lost Salt Canyon. Today, crews will continue with hand and aerial ignitions keeping the line even and working east from FSRD 200 along FSRD 848 and Haigler Creek.
Operations: Yesterday, Crews continued work along FSRD 411 bringing fire along the containment line to Lost Salt Canyon. Hand and aerial ignitions took place on the western portion of the fire along FSRD 200 progressing toward the southwest corner. Today, hand and aerial ignitions will continue as crews bring the fire around the southwest corner along FSRD 200 to FSRD 920.
Fire Ecology: When trees are killed in a fire it’s not always the end of their story; many species depend on ‘snag habitat’. When a tree dies some of the first creatures that show up are wood-boring insects. They tunnel into the tree, providing access for fungi and other insects. This then attracts woodpeckers and other insect eaters, who will further expand these holes while trying to extract insects. Over time these holes grow within the tree, creating homes for other birds and some mammals. Bats roost behind loose bark and raptors often nest in snags or perch in them to look for prey. Eventually the tree will rot and fall, but until then it provides important services to many things.
Weather: Yesterday, temperatures were in the low 80’s with light wind out of the southwest. Today, temperature will be in the high 70’s to low 80’s with light winds expected.
Closures: An emergency closure order for the Valentine Fire went into effect as of 6 a.m. Sept. 5, 2023. The public is asked to avoid the fire area. The purpose of the closure order is to protect public health and safety during the Valentine Fire, and to protect assigned firefighting personnel engaging in wildland firefighting operations. Signs and gates will be in place to remind the public not to enter the fire area. Please visit the Alerts and Notices page for more information: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/tonto/alerts-notices.
Safety: The health and safety of firefighters, and the public are always the highest priority. Members of the public are asked to avoid the fire area.
Smoke: The fire will produce considerable amounts of smoke due to excessive fuel accumulation. Smoke from the Valentine Fire may be visible in the surrounding areas for many days. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures. An interactive smoke map available at, https://www.airnow.gov/wildfires/ allows you to zoom into your area to see the latest smoke conditions.
Fire details:
Information Links and Contacts:
Tonto National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/tonto/fire
InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-information/aztnf-valentine-fire
Fire Email: [email protected]
Fire Information Line: (928) 362-0101 • Office Hours: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM