On Thursday, heat sources along fire containment lines continued to decrease, meaning the heat is naturally diminishing adjacent to the fire containment lines. This allows firefighters to work steadily to increase containment on all fires. New fire starts addressed Wednesday showed minimal heat and no smoke on Thursday. Although the temperature was warm, dry, and breezy, no additional new starts were detected.
Today, crews will continue to scout out and ensure there are no remaining heat sources along containment lines, begin repair work, reestablish jeep trails and roads and redirect water off roads and trails. While there has been a significant leap towards containment of all large fires, firefighters will continue to be ready to respond to any new starts.
Weather: Hot weather in the low 90s, dry fuels and high wind gusts of 25 miles per hour are a concern into the weekend, but firefighters will remain prepared to respond to any new fire starts.
Evacuations: None. For awareness regarding evacuations, familiarization with the Ready, Set, Go evacuation model is encouraged. Community members may also sign up for the Navajo County Alert System at https://tinyurl.com/y4vwrasw.
Smoke: Smoke is very minimal, but may still be visible as pockets of heat continue to subside. For information on smoke and air quality, visit https://www.airnow.gov.
Closures: Highway 60 remains open. The southwest portion of Fort Apache is closed, including all Salt River sites within the closure area.
Fire Restrictions: There are several fire restrictions in place depending on location.
• Fort Apache Agency: Stage 2 Fire Restrictions - No campfire, fireworks, outdoor smoking, debris burning or discharging of firearms. Power saws cannot be used between 10 am and 8 pm. All motorized travel is restricted to developed roads.
• Show Low, Navajo County and Apache Sitgreaves National Forests: Stage 1 Fire Restrictions - No campfires (except in developed recreation sites), no smoking outdoors, no welding, no fireworks.
Total personnel for all incidents: 407
Cottonwood Ridge Fire Update: Crews will continue to patrol firelines for any remaining heat sources and begin suppression repair work along dozer lines to restore the containment line to a more natural state. Firefighters worked hard to increase containment by 25%, reaching 90% containment on the Cottonwood Ridge Fire Thursday.
Cottonwood Ridge Fire Quick Facts
Acres: 345
Cause: Lightning
Containment: 90%
Start Date: July 23, 2023
Location: 4 miles south of Show Low, AZ
Fuels: Timber, grass, brush
Spoon Fire Update: Fire crews scouting the north edge of the fire containment lines found minimal heat sources Thursday. Crews will begin assessing repair work needed and continue patrolling the fire perimeter for hot spots. Firefighters and equipment will begin repairing dozer and hand lines, and redirect water off roads and trails. Diligent efforts by firefighters increased containment by another 10%, bringing containment on the Spoon Fire up to 45%.
Spoon Fire Quick Facts
Acres: 4,560 acres
Cause: Lightning
Containment: 45%
Start Date: July 24, 2023
Location: 2.5 miles east of Highway 60 between Globe and Show Low, AZ. 11 miles southwest of Cedar Creek
Fuels: Piñyon- Juniper, Manzanita, Grass, Cedar
Snake Ridge Fire Update: Crews patrolled the perimeter of the Snake Ridge Fire and didn’t find any heat sources close to the fireline, so were able to declare the fire 100% contained.
Snake Ridge Fire Quick Facts
Acres: 42 acres
Cause: Lightning
Containment: 100%
Start Date: July 28, 2023
Location: 11 miles southwest of Show Low, AZ.
Fuels: Grass, Brush
More Information:
Inciweb:
• Cottonwood Ridge: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-information/azfta-cottonwood-ridge-fire
• Spoon: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-information/azfta-spoon-fire
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BIAFAAFireMgt/