Prescott

Since the fire started the challenge of strong winds has hampered firefighting efforts. Fire remains active in the Slate Creek drainage and the lower Crooks Creek drainage. Firefighters were able to control the spot that was an issue just west of Mount Tritle and continue to monitor the area for any activity. Fire in the southwest portion will have fuels transitioning to smaller and lighter brush which can assist with slowing the spread of the fire.

On Wednesday strong winds out of the south with low relative humidity, hampered firefighting efforts. Wind gusts of 30 plus mph, drove the fire west of Lookout Mountain toward Dosoris Canyon, pushing smoke into Prescott and surrounding communities. Crews were successful in holding the 52 Spur Road to keep the fire west of the affected communities. Both rotary and fixed wing aircraft were utilized in direct and indirect attacks between Lookout Mountain and Johnson Flat supporting ground operations.

There will be a community meeting today, April 24th, 2022, at 6:00 p.m., at Embry Riddle University in “The Hanger”, 3700 Willow Creek Dr., Prescott, Arizona. The meeting will be live-streamed to the Prescott National Forest Facebook page.  If you are unable to attend, the recording will be available to view afterward, visit: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzbIoBB-yAclQO_Hz0hBMQQ or https://www.facebook.com/PrescottNF.

Southern California Interagency Incident Management Team 4 assumed command of the Crooks Fires yesterday at 6:00 pm and quickly held a community meeting.  To view the recording of the Crooks Fire Community Meeting visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqsH4tAFh2E.  We would like to thank the community last night for the patience as we experienced technical difficulties. 

A live virtual and in-person community meeting will be held tonight, Wednesday April 20, 2022, at 6:30 pm.  The virtual meeting will be held on the Prescott NF Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/PrescottNF.  The in-person meeting will be held at Embry Riddle University in the Hanger, 3700 Willow Creek Dr, Prescott, Arizona.   

The Tunnel Fire, located north of Flagstaff along Highway 89 (35°18'14.4"N 111°35'20.4"W) is at 100-plus acres and 0 percent containment.

Ryan Barela’s Arizona Central West Zone Type 3 Incident Management will assume command of the Crooks Fire today at 6:00 PM.  The fire remained active last night as crews worked through the night on structure protection and burning fuels along Forest Road (FR) 261 and along Senator Highway.  Firefighters will focus today on keeping the fire south of FR 261 and east of Senator Highway.  Fires in Prescott, AZ typically are driven by southwestern winds that push the fire to the northeast, therefore, we are prioritizing working on the northeastern part of the fire.

At approximately 10:00 AM on Monday, April 18, 2022, resources from Prescott National Forest responded to a reported wildfire south of Prescott near Mt Union.  The fire is burning through brush, ponderosa pine and mixed conifer.  Local resources including aircraft have been working throughout the day in rugged terrain identifying hazards and scouting control feature as the begin to suppress the fire.  Resources including crews, engines and aircraft are on scene and have been ordered.  Smoke may be visible from multiple locations including Chino Valley, Mayer, and Prescott Valley.

The annual multi agency “Basin Operation Drill” is planned for April 1 -2, 2022 in the Schoolhouse Gulch area south of Prescott, Arizona.  The drill will involve the Prescott National Forest, Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority, City of Prescott Fire, Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, Bureau of Land Management and many other emergency response agencies including Yavapai County Office of Emergency Management, Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, and several volunteer organizations.

Fire Managers on the Bradshaw Ranger District will continue to burn debris piles near Walker, Ponderosa Park/White Spar, Copper Basin, Lynx Lake and Thumb Butte.  Ignitions are planned to start on Monday, January 31, 2022, and continue through Monday, February 28, 2022, as favorable weather conditions allow.  Fire managers expect smoke impacts to be light in the surrounding areas.  During the month of January fire fighters burned over 1,000 acres of piles in the Prescott basin.