Dutch fire quickly extinguished

The 77 acre Dutch fire was discovered on Nov. 15, 2023, and is located northwest of Bear Canyon Lake on the Black Mesa Ranger District near Forest Road 75A.

During initial attack, firefighters were able to utilize a network of existing roads to hold and contain the fire. Once fire lines and control features were established, burn out operations were used to secure and hold the fire within the established perimeter. With the help of cooler temperatures and an increase in relative humidity, fuels were less receptive to ignition and fire activity was moderated.

Fire crews will continue to monitor the Dutch fire to ensure that containment lines remain secure. There are no evacuations, and no threats to communities or infrastructure currently.    

Residual smoke may linger for a few days but impacts to neighboring communities is expected to be minimal as fire growth is not anticipated. To access air quality information and interactive map data go to the AirNow website at https://www.airnow.gov/.

The weather forecast is calling for cooler temperatures and an increased chance of precipitation over the fire area in the coming days.

For more information call the Black Mesa Ranger District at (928) 535-7300. Visit the A-S National Forests website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/asnf and follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/apachesitgreavesnfs and X (Twitter) at https://twitter.com/A_SNFs.