Crews complete equipment removal on West Fire as natural resource assessment begins; smoke expected within fire perimeter

This will be the final daily update for the West fire unless significant activity occurs. Any additional updates will be posted on Inciweb. Today, crews completed equipment removal from the fire area. The Burned Area Emergency Response team will conduct an assessment of needs for natural resources in the fire area. Crews will continue to actively monitor and patrol the fire. Smoke will be visible within the fire’s perimeter as unburned fuels slowly burn until a significant weather event occurs.

Weather: Today, mostly sunny with a 20% chance of showers, high temperatures of 84-88 degrees. Northeast winds 5 mph, shifting to the northwest this afternoon, with humidity in the 15-18% range.  Tonight, mostly clear with a 10% chance of showers with a low around 60-63 degrees; winds northeast around 5 mph.

Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always a priority. Please remember to respect closure areas and be cautious when driving near fire equipment on the roads. 

Smoke: Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures. Learn more about smoke impacts on the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality website.

Closures: The Tonto National Forest has issued a closure for land surrounding the West fire.  This includes the Pine Trailhead.  https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-publication/aztnf-2024-west-fire-tnf/us-forest-service-closure-order-for-west-fire-09-04-2024.

Evacuations:  Pine residents on the east side of SR 87 and east of North Pine Creek Canyon Road are in READY status. Geronimo Estates residents near the West Fire are in READY status. As a reminder, Gila County uses the READY, SET, GO system for emergency evacuations.

For more information on READY, SET, GO visit https://ein.az.gov/ready-set-go. Residents of the Southwest should familiarize themselves with county emergency notification alert systems, have a plan, and communicate that plan to all family members.

Gila County Emergency Management encourages residents to sign up for notifications at https://gilacountyaz.genasys.com/portal/en.

For information on evacuation status, visit https://nifc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/sidebar/index.html?appid=9bf2ca222ee74f8697bc670ae9c2531a.

Fire details:
Size: 15,074 acres 
Cause: Lightning
Containment: 72% 
Total personnel: 120        
Start Date: August 28, 2024
Location: Payson Ranger District, Arizona
Fuels: Ponderosa pine, mixed conifer, chaparral

For the latest news and information about the Tonto National Forest, follow along on Facebook @TontoNationalForest, ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) @TontoForest or Instagram @tontonationalforest and on the Tonto National Forest website https://www.fs.usda.gov/tonto.