Slate Creek

Saturday was a success for firefighters on day 13 of the Crooks Fire. Smoke was minimal and the fire grew by only 9 acres. Crews from across Arizona and the nation working the fire made great progress protecting homes and holding the fire from moving north.  Firefighters on the day and night shifts focused on ‘firewise’ structure defense and preparing for Red Flag critical fire weather expected Sunday. Due to the hard work on the fire, hundreds of participants were able to join the Whiskey 50 bike race event that occurred across the Prescott National Forest.

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.