Coconino County

National Weather Service has extended an Excessive Heat Warning for 

• *Coconino and Yavapai County from 8/20/19 10 AM to 8/21/19 8 PM 
• Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, and Yuma Counties from 8/20/19 from 11 AM to 8/21/19 8 PM
• Mohave County from 8/20/19 from 11 AM to 8/22/19 8 PM

Daytime highs are expected to be in the 107 to 118 degrees Fahrenheit range. Residents are advised to stay cool, stay hydrated, and stay informed.

Coconino County and the city of Flagstaff are hosting an Open House to answer resident’s questions about potential flooding due to the Museum Fire. 

The Open House will be at 5:30 p.m. August 5 in the parking lot of the Peak School campus on Spruce Avenue (2229 E Spruce Ave.).

The County’s Flood Control District and city of Flagstaff officials will be available to answer questions regarding flood risk, mitigation, flood insurance and public safety.

This will be the final update for the Museum Fire, unless there is a significant change in fire activity.

A local Type 3 organization assumed command of the Museum Fire at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 30, 2019. The organization, led by Incident Commander Preston Mercer, will continue to prioritize the safety of firefighters and the public, protecting values at risk including homes, communication sites, and recreation and cultural resources, while providing support with planning and evaluation of post-fire watershed impacts. The 1,961-acre Museum Fire is 82 percent contained and the cause is under investigation.  

Suppression repair efforts have become a priority for the Southwest Area Incident Management Team 2 as containment has increased. Burning on the northwest portion well into the fire’s interior and an area near Little Elden Mountain produced steady smoke today, but posed no threat to the line. A small firing operation was conducted off Little Elden Saddle to clean up the fire perimeter. Rehabilitation is a focus for Coconino National Forest. While firefighters work to repair lines, a Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team has been working in the fire area gathering data to assess impacts

The Museum Fire will be active today due to low humidity, high temperatures and wind. Accumulations of heavy fuels north of Dry Lake Hills within the perimeter continue to burn. Expect greater volumes of smoke. The prevailing southwest winds should carry the smoke to the northeast and away from Flagstaff. Growth of the fire perimeter is not expected.

The Coconino County Sheriff's Office has downgraded the following neighborhoods and areas from “Set” (pre-evacuation) to “Ready” effective immediately: Christmas Tree Estates and all areas north of Railhead west on Hwy 89.

The only area that remains in “Set” due to the Museum fire is Mt. Elden Estates.

Fire activity was minimal this morning, but early afternoon, increased temperatures and wind speed combined with decreased humidity caused flareups on Little Elden Mountain. Air support provided water drops to cool the active fire areas. Increased fire activity is expected to continue in other areas of the fire, producing smoke within the fire perimeter, but growth is not anticipated. Smoke should dissipate toward the northeast but will be visible from Flagstaff.

Firefighters made great progress yesterday, increasing containment line on the Museum Fire to 35 percent. Crews have been able to work closer to the fire’s edge, going direct in some areas, where safe to do so. The new containment came mostly south of Shultz Tank and north of Dry Lake Hills on the north edge of the fire and northeast of Elden Mountain on the east side of the fire in the scar from the Radio Fire.