The fire was active on Friday, pushed toward the Salt River by outflow winds from thunderstorms that passed through the area. Crews worked to keep the fire from moving west toward Highway 60, supported by air tankers and helicopters. Fire managers are looking for roads and natural barriers to keep the fire from moving to the north and east, while starting to build fireline to the west side of the fire to protect Highway 60.
Weather: Temperatures on Saturday will remain in the 90s on the Cottonwood Ridge Fire and could reach 100 near the Spoon Fire. Thunderstorms, which brings gusty winds, remain in the forecast, along with a chance of afternoon/evening rain.
Restrictions: There are several fire restrictions in place depending on location.
Evacuations: None. Residents and visitors should take time to become familiar with the Ready, Set, Go evacuation model. hese steps help you to be READY in the event of an emergency by preparing now. Additionally, sign up for the Navajo County Alert System at https://tinyurl.com/y4vwrasw.
Closures: Highway 60 remains open. The southwest portion of Fort Apache is closed, including all Salt River sites within the closure area.
Smoke: Highway 60 will be impacted by smoke as the Spoon Fire continues to progress. Larger columns of smoke are more likely in the afternoon/evening. Please use caution when traveling along smokey roadways. For information on smoke and air quality visit https://www.airnow.gov.
Fire details:
Official fire information:
InciWeb:
Cottonwood Ridge: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-information/azfta-cottonwood-ridge-fire
Spoon Fire: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-information/azfta-spoon-fire
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BIAFAAFireMgt/