Due to expected winds today, Crews will be scouting the existing road systems and terrain in the southwest perimeter to plan the best route to proceed when conditions improve.
Operations: Yesterday, crews performed ignitions along the south fire line to bring the fire toward FSRD 411 while north crews patrolled the fire line. Today, crews are scouting the terrain looking for the best options to bring the fire south and patrolling the fire edge during wind events.
Fire Ecology: In recent years, scientists have been finding out that smoke has a lot of ecological benefits. For example, the germination of bearded penstemon and yarrow seeds can more than quadruple when there is smoke residue in the soil or on the seeds. Smoke can inhibit mistletoe and fungi, and it attracts or repels many insect species. In the past, Native American Tribes lit fires at times and in places where the smoke would be dense for long periods to shade streams; cooling the water for the benefit of salmon migrating upstream.
Weather: Yesterday was dry with some cloud cover in the morning and winds out of the southwest along the ridge tops. Today will be sunny with cloud cover expected at night. Variable and gusty winds will come from the south.
Closures: An emergency closure order for the Valentine Fire went 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]
Fire Information Line (928) 421-4579
Office Hours: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM