Horton Fire continues slow growth; community meeting tonight in Payson

Highlights: The Horton Fire increased to 1,095 acres and remains at 17% containment. No firing operations occurred on the Horton Fire yesterday.

Tonight’s community meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, located at 546 W Ashby Apple Dr., Payson, AZ 85541.

Tomorrow, December 31, 2024, Southwest Area Incident Management Team 1 will assume command and management of the Horton Fire.

Operations: Yesterday, crews patrolled the fire area and secured fuel breaks and contingency lines near powerlines and roadways west of Christopher Creek.

Today, increased fire activity is expected near the Promontory Point area, with fire continuing to move east and south along Promontory Point and east of Horton Springs. Crews will assess conditions and conduct firing operations where needed to secure Forest Road 300, FR 76 and other values at risk.

Weather: Today’s forecast calls for sunny skies and high temperatures in the mid-50s to low-60s with relative humidity near 20% and light to moderate winds. Local weather is forecasted to be above average temperature for this time of year with low relative humidity and no precipitation anticipated.

Closures: An emergency closure order for the Horton Fire is in effect from Dec. 18, 2024, to Jan. 31, 2025. The public is asked to avoid the fire area. The purpose of the closure order is to protect public health and safety during the Horton Fire, and to protect assigned firefighting personnel engaging in wildland firefighting operations. Please visit the Alerts and Notices page for more information: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/tonto/alerts-notices.

The Tonto Creek Fish Hatchery is also closed due to the Horton Fire.

Safety: The communities of Tonto Creek Estates, Tonto Christian Camp, Tonto Fish Hatchery, and Zane Grey Cabins remain in SET evacuation status. The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the priority. Members of the public are asked to avoid the fire area.

Highway closures are not currently in effect due to the Horton Fire. Travelers are encouraged to monitor roadway status and conditions via AZ Department of Transportation at https://www.az511.com/.

Smoke: Increased smoke from the Horton Fire may be visible in the surrounding areas for many days. Smoke Outlook information is available at https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook/. Air quality information is available at https://www.azdeq.gov/.

Fire details:
Size: 1,095 acres
Start Date:  December 14, 2024
Cause: Human caused and under investigation
Location: Payson Ranger District, Arizona
Containment: 17%
Total personnel: 181
Fuels: Ponderosa: Ponderosa pine, mixed conifer, chapparal

Information Links and Contacts:
Tonto National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/tonto
InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/aztnf-horton-fire-2024
Fire Email: [email protected]
Fire Information Line: (602)-551-7327 • Office Hours: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.