Highlights: The Southwest Area Incident Management Team 1 assumed command of the Horton Fire today at 7 a.m. With this transition, the public can expect to see an increase in fire traffic across the area as additional resources continue arriving on-scene through the new year.
Highlights: The Horton Fire grew to 928 acres with 15% containment.
Operations: Crews monitored and patrolled yesterday, observing continued slow creeping and smoldering conditions across the majority of the fire area. Smoke production did increase yesterday near East Horton Creek and Horton Spring area between Forest Roads 76U and 76K as fire consumed heavier fuels in drainages. No firing operations occurred.
Today, Horton Fire crews will focus on the north and western areas of the fire.
Highlights: The Horton Fire is currently 898 acres with 15% containment. A weather shift is expected through Christmas Day, with cooler temperatures and increased humidity forecasted. Crews will remain on-scene throughout Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
The Maricopa County Air Quality Department has declared a No Burn Day for Monday, December 23 due to elevated levels of PM2.5 (smoke).
Take Action
Community Meeting in Payson today at 6:00 pm.
Highlights: The Horton Fire is currently at 520 acres, 0% containment and 140 personnel.
An in-person community meeting is scheduled for at 6 p.m. today, Friday, Dec. 20, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, located at 546 W Ashby Apple Dr., Payson, AZ 85541. Please note that this meeting will not be live-streamed.
Operations: Fire activity moderated yesterday, resulting in minimal growth.
Fire managers plan to continue prescribed fire operations on the Lakeside Ranger District of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests beginning December 16 through December 20, 2024, as weather and vegetation conditions allow for successful operations.
The Maricopa County Air Quality Department has declared a No Burn Day for Friday, November 29, due to elevated levels of PM2.5 (smoke)
Take Action
Fire managers with the Coconino National Forest continue to monitor burn piles of slash along Snowbowl Road that continue to smolder and be consumed. These piles continue to produce smoke which may be noticeable to people in the immediate area and will likely increase through the week.
Fire Managers on the Bradshaw Ranger District plan to take advantage of the fall-like conditions and burn piles of debris in and around the Prescott Basin. (See the map below.) Ignitions are planned to start on Tuesday, November 12, and continue through the end of the year as favorable weather conditions allow. Fire managers expect smoke impacts to be light and visible from multiple locations including Prescott, Chino Valley, and surrounding areas. Pile burning helps to reduce hazardous fuels in the wildland urban interface and increases ecosystem and community resilience.
Fire managers with the Coconino National Forest plan to burn piles of slash along Snowbowl Road tomorrow to reduce hazardous forest fuels.
For the latest information at any time of the day, details and updates about all prescribed burn projects can be found on the Coconino NF Prescribed Burn Projects Inciweb page, which is updated any time new information is available
Snowbowl Road Piles Project