Chamberlain Trail Road (FSRD 200) is closed until 6 p.m. on September 30, 2023 for firefighter and public safety. The communities of Gordon Canyon, 13 Ranch, and The Cove are in SET status. For more information on Ready, Set, Go, please visit: https://ein.az.gov/ready-set-go.
Operations: Yesterday, crews on the northwest end of the fire conducted some hand ignitions, moving west towards the Chamberlain Trail (FSRD 200) building depth; however, conditions were limiting. Tactical firing operations were performed down the drainages from the north to the south towards FSRD 411 building depth and evening out the fire line. Today, crews will continue moving the fire’s edge towards Chamberlain Trail (FSRD 200) along that west fire perimeter line to the south, adding more depth.
Fire Ecology: A crown fire is when a fire burns along the top of trees, also known as the canopy. Crown fires produce high-severity fire effects. The term “torching” refers to when a fire burns the crown of one tree or a small group of trees but does not move around. Surface fire is when the fire stays on the surface, consuming grass and forest litter and reducing the ladder fuels.
Weather: Yesterday, (Sunday, Sept. 17) there were scattered storms along the west fire perimeter up to ½”. Today, there is a 10-15% chance of showers with the relative humidity in the teens. Later this week, wind is expected to increase from the southwest, with temperatures expected to continue on a downtrend.
Closures: An emergency closure order for the Valentine Fire will go into effect 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: Smoke from the Valentine Fire may be visible in the surrounding areas for many days. Smoke will be heavier in the mornings as it settles into the lower elevations and will lift as temperatures increase. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures An interactive smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov/ allows you to zoom into your area to see the latest smoke conditions.
Fire details:
Official fire information:
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]