smoke

The Slate Fire, which is located

The Horton Complex was most active on the western flanks yesterday where it reached to the bottom of Bear creek. The east side, where containment has been achieved, has moderated but fire managers will keep a close eye on this area as it has the potential for increased fire activity when forecasted conditions become drier. The four fires within the Horton Complex are expected to merge into one and are expected to actively back, flank and rollout into the Bear, Horton, Willow, Thomas, and Hannagan drainages.

Communities that were asked to evacuate were allowed to return to their homes at 6:00 am this morning. Please stay diligent and be aware of current fire conditions.

Overview: 
Clouds and light rain showers provided a welcome relief, slowing fire growth on both the Wyrick and West Chev fires. This will give firefighters an opportunity to build fireline directly next to the fire, taking advantage of this temporary reprieve to gain containment on the Wyrick Fire.

Firefighters assigned to the Pinnacle Fire, continued to patrol and mop up fire lines around the perimeter of the fire yesterday. Water drops were used to cool identified hot spots, and firefighters began suppression repair. This activity consists of repairing bulldozer lines, installing water bars to control erosion, and chipping brush cut from fire lines. 

The moisture and higher relative humidity subdued fire behavior on all 5 fires. Crews were able to get 100% containment on the Red Hat and Limestone Fires, and 42% containment on the Spring Fire. Crews will continue to patrol and monitor both the Silent and Rock Butte Fires. Interior fuels on the Spring Fire continue to burn and smoke may be visible.

Rain fell on portions of the fire today, but scattered pockets of heat are still present. Crews continued with
suppression repair and mop up of hot spots as needed to protect communities and infrastructure. This will be the
final evening update produced by Northwest Incident Management Team 6. Morning updates will continue until
further notice.

The Snake Fire, located about 7 miles west of Clints Well on the northern edge of West Clear Creek, is holding at 76 acres thanks to crew efforts and morning precipitation.

The fire remains at 20 percent containment.

While the Snake Fire did receive a small amount of precipitation both last night and this morning, the full closure of the Coconino National Forest will remain in effect as weather conditions across much of the forest remain windy and dry.

State Route 77 is open to the public. Please watch out for wildfire vehicles and equipment moving throughout the area as you drive along the highway.

The Gila County Sheriff’s Office has issued new evacuation announcements this morning. See the status updates below for specific changes.

Overnight, favorable weather conditions resulted in minimal fire growth, allowing for the conclusion of night
operations. The southeast corner of the fire on Mescal Mountain continued to experience scattered heat pockets.

Clouds overnight prevented an Infrared Flight, so there is no updated acreage. Recent record breaking heat, combined with extreme drought conditions have set the stage for extreme fire behavior. Crews are working day and night to keep the Wyrick Fire from moving any closer to Heber-Overgaard. More favorable weather conditions will allow firefighters the opportunity to make some progress before sunny skies return. Fire Update: On Tuesday, air tankers dropped retardant while helicopters dropped water on the southeast corner of the Wyrick Fire to keep the fire from moving to the south.

Yesterday, crews worked diligently to contain the Walnut Fire as it made its way down the hill through the drought-stressed vegetation, rocks, and logs. Due to the fire’s southern movement, a GO was issued for residents in the Dragoon-area. As firefighters pushed to create containment lines along a portion of the I-10, the interstate had to be temporarily shut down as heavy smoke created unsafe conditions not only for firefighters, but drivers as well. Strong winds also caused the Walnut Fire to cross over to the south side of I-10.