Coronado National Forest

Fire Activity:  Fire activity has lessened significantly over the fire due to recent rains. Today, the fire activity in finer, grassy fuels is expected to increase as they dry out due to hotter and drier weather moving into the area. This weather pattern will continue for the next two days.

Meeting Information:  The Miller Fire public meeting was held last night at the Rodeo Community Center. We thank those who attended from surrounding communities. Video excerpts of the meeting will be posted to the Coronado National Forest Facebook page https://biturl.org/MillerPublicMeeting.

Meeting Information:  Tonight’s community meeting will be held at the Rodeo Community Center at 16 Hickory St., Rodeo, New Mexico, 88056 at 5:00 MST/6:00 MDT. The meeting, as well as daily operational briefing videos, will be recorded and posted to the Coronado National Forest Facebook page.

Fire Activity:  Precipitation from Friday’s storm has hindered fire activity.  This has allowed firefighters to get ahead of the fire spread prior to next weeks predicted hotter, drier weather and increased fire behavior. 

There was minimal activity yesterday on the Miller Fire. It is still burning with low to moderate intensity in a mosaic pattern through the Bunk Robinson wilderness study area.  While fire activity is expected to remain moderated, strong winds associated with thunderstorms could produce rapid fire spread. Currently, smoke is dissipating within a few miles of the incident, but there may be an increase in smoke production with next weeks predicted weather.   

On June 29^th, a lightning storm in the Peloncillo Mountains is believed to have started the Miller Fire within rough, remote country in the Bunk Robinson Wilderness Study Area.  The Type 2 Southwest Area Incident Management Team 4, led by Incident Commander Carl Schwope, took over management duties of the fire this morning on the Douglas Ranger District of the Coronado National Forest.  Firefighters are “spiked out” in multiple smaller fire camps surrounding the fire.

District offices of the Coronado National Forest and the Forest Supervisor’s Office will be closed for the July 4 holiday on Thursday. The Sabino Canyon Visitor Center will remain open. Business at the offices will resume July 5 during normal operating hours.

The Safford Ranger District of the Coronado National Forest expects to conduct phase two of the Fourmile Prescribed Fire as early as June 8th, 2019. The project area consists of National Forest System lands in the northwest portion of the Galiuro Mountains in southeastern Arizona and is included in the Forest’s Galiuro FireScape Project.

The project boundaries lie between Rattlesnake Creek on the east and the Forest Boundary on the west and contains portions of the Fourmile, Rattlesnake and Pipestem drainages, including both wilderness and non-wilderness lands in rugged terrain.

Fuels reduction project in the Santa Rita Mountains continues

A fuels reduction project in the Santa Rita Mountains will continue beginning Thursday, June 6.  The Nogales Ranger District, Coronado National Forest will implement prescribed burning on 250 acres in the vicinity of Gardner Canyon. The project area is approximately six miles northwest of Sonoita, Arizona along Santa Rita Road.

Douglas Ranger District personnel will be burning piles of wood in Cochise Stronghold for the remainder of the month of May as weather permits.

Slash piles covering 50 acres will be burned to reduce excess fuels (flammable vegetation) in the Wildland-Urban Interface in and around the campground and residences in the area.

Burning will be done in small parcels when environmental conditions are favorable. Smoke impacts should be minimal due to the small sizes of piles and parcels to be burned. Light smoke may be visible from Sunsites and Highway 80.

A fuels reduction project in the Santa Rita Mountains will be conducted during the last two weeks of April.  The Nogales Ranger District, Coronado National Forest will implement prescribed burning on 250 acres in the vicinity of Gardner Canyon. The project area is approximately six miles northwest of Sonoita, Arizona along Santa Rita Road.