Single Publication

Spoon Fire Quick Facts 

*Acres: 3,202 

Cause: Lightning 

Containment: 0% 

Start Date: July 24, 2023 

Location: 2.5 miles east of Highway 60 between Globe and Show Low, AZ. 20 miles south of Cibicue, +30 miles south of Show Low 

Fuels: Piñyon- Juniper, Manzanita, Grass, Cedar 

Overview: The Southwest Area Incident Management Team 5 assumed command of three fires — Cottonwood Ridge Fire, Mustang Ridge Fire and the Spoon Fire — on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. Thank you for welcoming us to your community as we work to contain these fires. 

Spoon Fire Update: Wednesday, the Spoon Fire, +30 miles south of Show Low, produced a large column of smoke in the afternoon that could be seen from Show Low. This was not smoke from the nearby Cottonwood Ridge Fire. Single-engine airtankers and one large airtanker dropped retardant on the west side of the Spoon Fire. After carefully considering the weather, and vegetation in the area, and potential threats, fire managers will actively suppress the westside of the fire to prevent movement towards Highway 60. On the east side of the fire, firefighters are looking for opportunity to safely contain the fire using roads, natural barriers and constructed fireline. 

Weather: Temperatures tomorrow will be in the lower 100s. Light winds 5-10 mph are forecasted. There is a chance of rain tomorrow afternoon/evening as monsoonal moisture passes across parts of Arizona. 

Evacuations: None.  
Residence and visitors and should take this time to familiarize themselves with the Ready, Set, Go evacuation model. The three steps encourage Arizonans to get READY by preparing now for what threatens their community. Additionally, sign up for the Navajo County Alert System at https://tinyurl.com/y4vwrasw. 

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 Restrictions: There are several fire restrictions in place depending on location. 

• Fort Apache Agency: Stage 2 Fire Restrictions - No campfire, fireworks, outdoor smoking, debris burning or discharging of firearms. Power saws cannot be used between 10 am and 8 pm. All motorized travel is restricted to developed roads.     

• Show Low, Navajo County and Apache Sitgreaves National Forest: Stage 1 Fire Restrictions - No campfires (except in developed recreation sites), no smoking outdoors, no welding, no fireworks.  

Closures: There are no Highway closures in place. The southwest portion of Fort Apache is closed, including all Salt River sites within the closure area.