Prescott

At approximately 5:56 pm Prescott National Forest received multiple calls of a wildfire burning on Granite Mountain. Firefighters were able to locate the fire last night and monitored it through the evening. Today fire managers plan to continue to monitor the wildfire as it is burning in the Granite Mountain wilderness in very steep and remote location with poor access. The lightning caused wildfire is burning within the old Doce Fire where many snags (standing dead trees) pose hazards to firefighters along with the inclement weather from the monsoonal storms.

The emergency closure area for the Crooks Fire has been reduced allowing for the opening of Upper Goldwater Lake and additional trails north of County Road 101, including portions of the Circle Trail and School House Gulch.  Trails in Groom Creek and Spruce Mountain remain closed for public safety.  All roads, trails and recreation sites including Upper and Lower Wolf Creek Campgrounds and Palace Station remain closed within the closure area. 

Critical fire weather entering the state may challenge firefighters over the next few days as conditions align for extreme fire danger. The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for most of Arizona through Sunday night due to strong southwest winds and low relative humidity which can potentially intensify fire behavior and increase fire activity. Fuels remain critically dry and receptive to fire. Crews have been staged ahead of the incoming weather to provide for initial attack on new starts and to patrol the fire lines for any possible holding concerns.