wildfire

Smoke from wildfires in northern Arizona is impacting several communities in Coconino County. The Coconino County Public Health Services District is encouraging individuals to take precautions to protect themselves from the health effects of wildfire smoke.

Many factors influence a person’s susceptibility to smoke. These factors include the level, extent, and duration of exposure, age, and individual susceptibility. Not everyone who is exposed to smoke will have health problems.

A new lightning-caused wildfire has ignited on the Williams Ranger District on the south side of Sitgreaves Mountain. It is currently burning in steep terrain within the 2014 Sitgreaves wildfire burn scar.

The Bald Fire is currently burning in ponderosa pine and does have the potential to expand over the next several days as monsoon moisture is forecasted to temporarily subside. An engine crew was on scene the day of discovery on July 22 and will continue to monitor fire behavior daily taking appropriate actions as necessary.

Continuing monsoonal moisture has allowed fire officials on the Kaibab National Forest to consider two new lightning caused wildfires on the Tusayan Ranger District for the potential of benefiting forest health objectives and community protection.

 Coconino County will lift fire restrictions above the North Rim of the Grand Canyon effective immediately. This region received significant moisture during the last week, decreasing fire risk.

Effective Tuesday, July 17, 2018 beginning at 12:00 A.M. - Stage 2 Fire Restrictions will be lifted on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.  Fire danger is “moderate” and a monsoonal weather pattern is predicted to continue across the Reservation this week.

The monsoons have arrived on the White Mountain’s. All fire restrictions on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests are lifted and closures have been rescinded, effective Monday, July 17, 2018 at 3:00p.m. Even though the fire restriction are lifted you still need to be responsible and make sure your campfires are dead out if left unattended. 

We would like to again thank all of our visitors for being patient, understanding, and obeying the restrictions and closures during our drought conditions.

The Kaibab National Forest has implemented a temporary closure of Forest Road 149 near Kendrick Mountain on the Williams Ranger District due to safety concerns related to the active monsoon season.

Forest Road 149, which is located in the far northeastern corner of the Williams Ranger District just east of Pumpkin Center, accesses the Pumpkin Trailhead on Kendrick Mountain. Due to the risk of flooding and the associated public safety concerns, the road has been temporarily closed and will remain so until monsoon conditions subside.

Fire managers on the Williams Ranger District will take advantage of the recent widespread rain that has delivered adequate moisture to the area and will burn two small areas of slash piles on Friday of this week.

Within the past 96 hours, North Zone fire personnel, consisting of firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service, responded jointly to 17 lightning-caused wildfire ignitions located on both the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and adjacent North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest.