Department of Forestry and Fire Management

Today hand crews and engines resumed monitoring containment line for any heat along the lines and possible smoke within the interior of the fire. The fire has stayed within its footprint for the last several days and increased humidity levels have allowed crews to make significant progress by keeping fire activity low. Crews successfully established black line around the left flank of the fire and it is now 46% contained at 264 acres. Storms continue to build up across the Mogollon Rim, but there has been no noteworthy moisture over the fire area.

Hand crews continued cold trailing containment line today checking for any remaining heat. An engineassigned to the north side is patrolling along Forest Road 300 also checking for hotspots and interior smoke. Along the southeast side crews continue removing hazard trees and any other fuel that may pose a risk to containment lines. Crews secured black line around the fire on the south side and have the fire 19% contained at 264 acres. Storms continue to build up around the fire area during the afternoon, but the fire has not had any measurable rain since Friday.

Today crews successfully secured black line on the south side of the fire. The fire is now 19% contained at 264 acres. The decrease in acreage is due to more accurate mapping. Crews also finished chipping operationsalong the north side of the fire. Fire operations reassigned those resources to the southeast side to help finish fuel reduction work around neighborhoods along that flank of the fire. An engine crew has now been assigned to the north side to patrol and monitor that line for any remaining heat or smokes.

A second Infrared (IR) flight overnight found a reduction in some heat within the perimeter of the fire, but scattered hotspots still remain along the north and southeast sides. Those sides remain a priority for resources with a bulk of the suppression work taking place there. On the north side of the fire, off Forest Road 300, chipping
operations to clean up remaining hazardous vegetation along containment line resumed today.

As crews continue to make good progress with suppression efforts, today the SET statuses for Camp Geronimo and Shadow Rim scout camps were lifted. Once again, hand crews stayed engaged on the southeast corner of the fire and started removing hazard trees within the Washington Park and Verde Glen areas.

All structure protection work in that area has been completed, including within Shadow Rim Camp and Forest Road 32. Ongoing efforts to clean up and strengthen hand lines continued today on the south and west sides of the fire.

The fire overall stayed quiet again today with the exception of the southeast side which has been active over the last 48 hours. However, a hotshot crew and Type 2-IA hand crew successfully established hand line along that flank of the fire today before being pulled off the line due to incoming, afternoon thunderstorms. Hand crews with the help of a dozer were also able to get line around structures in the Washington Park area, at Shadow Rim Camp, and along Forest Road 32.

Fire activity stayed quiet today and an afternoon thunderstorm provide muchneeded relief in the form of rain and hail across the fire area. Today a hotshot crew and a Type 2-IA crew went direct along the south and west sides of the fire, establishing containment line with the assistance of a helicopter.

The Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM) along with the Tonto National Forest remain in unified command on the Brady Fire and today placed an order for a Type 1 Incident Management Team due to the fire’s complexity and values at risk. The Brady Fire, north of Payson continues to remain active aided by hot, dry, and windy conditions. The fire is active on all sides and is pushing to the north and east and has moved on top of the Mogollon Rim.

State Route 87 is closed in both directions due to the Diamond Fire, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Personnel with Tonto National Forest as well as the Arizona State Forestry and Fire Management are performing control operations near the fire. This has necessitated the closure of southbound SR 87 at State Route 188. The northbound side of the highway is closed at milepost 199 (Bush Highway).

Motorists are advised to expect delays and seek an alternate route.

There is no estimated time to reopen the highway.

Both the Adams Peak and Robles Fires remained active throughout the day today (Thursday, July 20, 2023) due to high temperatures and low relative humidity. The fires are burning through grass and brush, with the Robles more terrain driven. Today the Robles Fire backed down to the nearby community and ground crews along with aircraft worked to keep the fire from encroaching structures. Hand crews conducted additional firing operations along Touchstone Road to redirect the fire away from the homes. The most significant activity is on the west and north sides.