high winds

High winds from the north late last night kept firefighters busy into the early morning on the Blue River Fire. The shift in wind pushed the fire south on to Black Mesa and smoke into the community of San Carlos this morning. The team is working closely with Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) to monitor smoke impacts to the communities of San Carlos as well as Whiteriver. Smoke monitors will be positioned at strategic locations in San Carlos and in Whiteriver to monitor the impacts of smoke within the communities.

The National Weather Service has issued a RED FLAG WARNING for Tuesday, May 22 from 12 pm to 7 pm for portions of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests (ASNFs) and parts of eastern Arizona due to strong winds and low relative humidity. Relative humidity levels are expected to drop into the single digits and wind gusts are expected to be between 20 to 30 mph over the White Mountains and Mogollon Rim Country.