Highway 87 is open but the Coconino National Forest area closure for the Tinder Fire remains in effect. Visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/coconino/home for more information regarding the forest area closure.
Yesterday the evacuation order for the Blue Ridge communities was lifted and residents returned to their properties. For additional information call the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at 928-213-2990 or 928-679-8393.
Road blocks will be removed from HWY 87 at 4 p.m., after a successful and incident free day of re-entry for Tinder Fire affected Blue Ridge-area residents.
Road blocks on the east side of HWY 87, where home loss was most prevalent, will remain in effect and patrolled by the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office. Access will be denied to everyone except residents of those neighborhoods.
Media are asked to respect the public’s privacy as people settle back into their homes and begin to rebuild.
The Tinder Fire has grown to an estimated 11,420 acres and is zero percent contained. The cause of the fire is unknown and still under investigation. The Tinder fire started April 27, about 1.5 miles northeast of Blue Ridge Reservoir on the Coconino National Forest. Resources include 559 personnel, including 15 crews, six helicopters, 40 engines, three dozers, 10 watertenders and overhead.
As part of the Tonto National Forest’s ongoing strategy to restore the health of the landscape and reduce catastrophic wildfire danger in Rim County, fire specialists will conduct prescribed fire treatments on 758 acres south of Payson, starting on Monday, January 29, and continuing through Friday, February 2, 2018. The treatment areas are located south of the Payson Golf Course, north of Oxbow Estates, southwest of Granite Dells, south of Round Valley, and north of Jim Jones Shooting Range.
