TELEGRAPH-MESCAL SOIL BURN SEVERITY MAP RELEASED

Interagency Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) specialists recently completed their data gathering and analysis for the Telegraph and Mescal burned areas to produce a soil burned severity map.  This map and data display categories of unburned/low, moderate, and high. Approximately 81% of the 263,619 acres (185,102 acres for the Telegraph Fire and 78,517 acres for the Mescal Fire) are either unburned and/or low soil burn severity, while 18% sustained a moderate soil burn severity, and only about 1% identified as high soil burn severity.

The low category of soil burn severity indicate that there was only partial consumption of fine fuels and litter coverage still remains, to some extent, on the soil surface.  Residence time at the soil surface in low areas was short, leaving root systems and structure intact.  Recovery time in the low category will vary based on ecological community but is expected to be relatively short.

A moderate category of soil burn severity indicates consumption of litter and fine fuels at the soil surface.  In forested communities, the heat from moderate severity fire will result in water repellant conditions at the mineral soil surface.  The canopy in the moderate forested system is browning and it is expected that trees in this area will drop needles and leaves that can provide some litter cover at the soil surface.  In these systems, recovery can take longer for tree species to reestablish.

The moderate soil burn severity category in lower elevation communities indicates complete consumption of shrub cover that can but does not necessarily result in water repellant conditions at the soil surface.  Several shrub species in the lower elevation communities do root crown after fire and recovery time will be variable. Moderate soil burn severity category in the lower elevation shrub communities that did not express water repellant behavior can still result in a runoff potential category of high as a result of the soils inherent qualities and the removal of effective vegetative cover.

A high soil burn severity category is the result of higher intensity fire behavior or longer residence time at the soil surface.  This category is found in forested or dense Woodland communities and the litter and fuels, including an overstory canopy, was consumed.  The soil structure is weakened, roots are charred, and water repellant soil conditions persist through the upper horizon of mineral soil.  Recovery time in the conifer systems can be significant.

The Telegraph and Mescal BAER assessment teams used initial remote sensing imagery with their field validated soils data, to develop and produce a map showing soil burn severity levels for the burned areas within both wildfires.  The BAER teams and the US Geological Survey (USGS) both utilized the soil burn severity map as an analysis tool to estimate post fire flows and debris flow probability. 

The BAER team relied on their refined soil burn severity map to produce data which they are using in their subsequent modeling and determination of post fire runoff and sedimentation. In specific areas that experienced moderate to high burn severity, there could be increased runoff from steep hillslopes and resultant increases in post-fire soil erosion and potential debris flows.

The Telegraph-Mescal soil burn severity map can be downloaded at the interagency “Telegraph Post-Fire BAER” and “Mescal Post-Fire BAER” InciWeb sites (https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7560/ and https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7573/) as a JPEG or PDF version under the “Maps” tab.

SPECIAL NOTE: Everyone near and downstream from the burned areas should remain alert and stay updated on weather conditions that may result in heavy rains over the burn scars. Flash flooding may occur quickly during heavy rain events be prepared to take action. Current weather and emergency notifications can be found at the National Weather Service website: https://www.weather.gov/psr/.

Telegraph Post-Fire BAER Assessment information is available at: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7560/

Mescal Post-Fire BAER Assessment information is available at: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7573/

 US Department of Interior (DOI)

Burned Area Rehabilitation (BAR) Program

US Department of Interior

BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS

Burned Area Emergency Response

Catastrophic wildland fire can cause multiple complex problems. Soil erosion, decreased water quality and possibility of flash flooding are just a few problems that arise when vegetation is lost to severe wildfires. The Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Program (https://fsapps.nwcg.gov/baer/home)  addresses ways to stabilize and rehabilitate post wildland fire problems to protect public safety and prevent further damage to the land. 

Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) teams are composed of resource specialists who determine the need for, prescribe, and sometimes implement, emergency treatments. Treatments are done to minimize threats to life or property or to stabilize and prevent further damage to natural and cultural resources. Based on assessments written by Team members, treatment recommendations are made to  protect life, health and safety, critical cultural & natural resources, and infrastructure.

INTERAGENCY BAER TEAMS BEGIN

POST-FIRE ASSESSMENTS

Three Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) teams have been established by the Tonto National Forest (NF), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to begin burned area assessments of the Telegraph and Mescal wildfires that recently burned on state, private, tribal, and federal lands.  The Tonto NF BAER team leader is Mike Martinez, who is its Forest’s Ecosystems Staff Officer, Chris Holbeck, a biologist with the National Park Service leads the Department of Interior BAER team, while Fish & Wildlife Service Wildlife Biologist Ken Griggs is the team leader for the BIA BAER assessment team. 

In addition to working and coordinating with each other, the teams also coordinate with the San Carlos Apache Tribe, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), National Weather Service (NWS), US Geological Survey (USGFS), Arizona Geological Survey (AZGS), and other federal, state and local agencies as they assess potential post-fire impacts to the burned watersheds.

BAER surveys are rapid assessments that evaluate the burned area to identify watersheds having increased potential for post-fire flooding, sediment flows and rockslides, and assist land managers prepare the burned area for the upcoming monsoon rains.  The team will focus on potential emergency impacts to life, and safety on federal and tribal land and share the team’s findings with the responsible downstream agencies.

BAER teams may consist of scientists and specialists including hydrologists, geologists, soil scientists, road engineers, botanists, biologists, archeologists, and geographic information specialists.  BAER teams collect data during their burned area surveys to analyze through GIS and computer models and present their findings along with recommended BAER emergency stabilization treatments in a BAER assessment report.

BAER teams utilize satellite imagery and specialist data to analyze and produce a runoff map that shows the levels of hydrological potential flows during rain events.  This is the first step in assessing potential watershed impacts from wildfires to any federal values that may be at-risk from potential increased flooding, sedimentation, debris flows, and rockslides.  BAER teams produce a report that describes ​potential threats associated with the burned area’s post-fire conditions sometimes including recommended emergency stabilization measures and actions.  BAER emergency response efforts are focused on the protection of human life, safety and property, as well as critical cultural and natural resource values such as the water quality of streams and wetlands on federal and tribal lands.

Rainstorm run-off is sometimes, but not always increased on burn scars. BAER reports are shared with interagency cooperators who work with downstream private home and landowners to prepare for potential post-fire flooding and debris flow impacts.  Homes or businesses that could be impacted by flooding from federal land that resulted from wildfires may be eligible for flood insurance coverage from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).  Information about NFIP is available through FEMA at www.fema.gov/national-flood-insurance-program, or www.floodsmart.gov/wildfires. Other flood preparedness information is available at www.ready.gov/floods at www.floodsmart.gov/.

SPECIAL NOTE: Everyone near and downstream from the burned areas should remain alert and stay updated on weather conditions that may result in heavy rains over the burn scars. Flash flooding may occur quickly during heavy rain events be prepared to take action. Current weather and emergency notifications can be found at the National Weather Service website: https://www.weather.gov/psr/.

Telegraph Post-Fire BAER Assessment information is available at: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7560/

US Department of Interior

POST FIRE RECOVERY

Wildfires can cause complex problems, from severe loss of vegetation and soil erosion, to a decrease in water quality and possible flash flooding. Post-fire recovery is facilitated through a program called Burned Area Emergency Response, or BAER. BAER addresses post-fire emergency stabilization and other post-wildfire problems in order to protect public safety and prevent further degradation of the landscape and to mitigate post-fire damages to cultural resources. 

Emergency stabilization is part of a holistic approach to address post-fire recovery, which also includes wildfire suppression activity damage repair, burned area rehabilitation, and long-term restoration. In order to facilitate this process, a designated BAER team will begin the process by assessing an area post-fire. 

The composition of a BAER assessment team is determined both by the size of the fire and the nature of values potentially threatened by post-fire effects. Generally, specialists in soils, hydrology, geology, engineering, wildlife, botany, and archeology assess the fire’s effects and predict the post-fire effects. Each resource specialist brings a unique perspective to the BAER process, to help the team rapidly determine whether the post-fire effects constitute urgent threats to human life, safety, property, or critical natural and cultural resources. They produce an integrated plan to respond to those threats. 

Purpose of the BAER Program 

The BAER program is designed to address emergency stabilization issues related to wildland fire. The program determines the need for, prescribes, and implements emergency treatments on federal lands to minimize threats to life and property resulting from the effects of a fire. If needed, the program also stabilizes and prevents unacceptable degradation to natural and cultural resources.  

The program is utilized by all federal land management agencies. The BAER team performs emergency stabilization actions within one year of wildfire containment. These actions are intended to stabilize and prevent unacceptable degradation to natural and cultural resources, minimize threats to life or property resulting from the effects of a fire, or to repair, replace, or construct physical improvements necessary to prevent degradation of land or resources. 

The Department of the Interior (DOI) firefighting bureaus also utilize Burned Area Rehabilitation (BAR) efforts, which signal the beginning of restoration efforts. BAR begins within five years of a wildfire containment in order to repair or improve fire-damaged lands that are unlikely to naturally recover to management approved conditions. BAR actions are also taken as an effort to repair or replace minor facilities damaged by fire. 

Not every wildland fire will require the services of a BAER team. In fact, most of them do not. The determination not to utilize BAER is not a reflection of the importance of a specific wildland fire, it simply means that the anticipated post-fire impacts to natural and cultural resources from that specific fire were not at an unacceptable level and the land can recover naturally. 

BAER is not an opportunity to fix historic problems, expand programs or personnel, or conduct new surveys or long-term restoration. Treatments do not prevent all potential flooding or soil erosion impacts, especially after wildfire-changed landscape. It is important for the public to stay informed and prepared for potentially dramatic increase run-off events. 

Partnerships 

BAER does not do work on privately owned lands affected by wildland fire. The scope of work is limited to federally managed lands only. However, private landowners can benefit greatly when their land neighbors federal land that has been treated by a BAER team.  

Throughout the BAER process, BAER teams work with multiple federal agencies, as well as local emergency responders, to help protect human life and private property. The teams share information from their assessments and offer recommendations on mitigative measures to lessen the impacts of fire on surrounding communities and private landowners. There are several other federal agencies that work closely with BAER. The work that these agencies are involved in can also have impacts to local communities and private landowners. 

BAER assessment plans and implementations of BAER emergency actions are a cooperative and coordinated effort between many federal agencies such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, USDA Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and also including state, tribal governments, local agencies, and emergency management departments. It is important that a BAER team coordinates its assessment and the local unit coordinates treatment with all affected and interested cooperating agencies and organizations regarding other post-fire recovery and restoration efforts.  

NOAA's National Weather Service provides weather, hydrologic, and climate forecasts. They also issue flood watches, warnings, flood inundation maps, and stream flow predictions. 

United States Geological Survey provides real-time streamflow and water level data. 

Federal Emergency Management Agency supports citizens and first responders to ensure that the nation works together during a presidentially declared disaster. 

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service aids communities through the Emergency Watershed Protection Program. 

The Assessment and Review Process

During the assessment stage, BAER can identify all values at risk. Agency funds can only be spent on agency or tribal trust lands. The BAER team will work with other emergency authorities and communities to notify them of risks within their jurisdiction but can only treat federal lands or Indian Tribal Trust lands. Treatments on federal land may benefit downstream private land, but treatments on other than federal land must be developed and accomplished by other means. BAER assessment plans and implementation are often a cooperative effort between federal agencies, state, tribal, and local forestry and emergency management departments. 

There are a variety of emergency stabilization techniques that the BAER team might recommend. Commonly used techniques include reseeding of ground cover with quick-growing or native species and straw mulching. The team also assesses the need to modify road and trail drainage mechanisms by installing debris traps, modifying or removing culverts to allow drainage to flow freely, adding additional drainage dips and constructing emergency spillways to keep roads and bridges from washing out during floods. 

The assessment of a burned area includes a review of existing resource documents and management plans. Prior to conducting field reviews, the team will be briefed by the local unit regarding the fire and known values at risk. Maps are used to identify structures and infrastructure within and downstream of the burned area. Each BAER team member consults appropriate references (such as databases, maps, and inventories) to identify additional values at risk. 

Soil resource and ecological unit inventories provide baseline information on soil characteristics, including erosion potential, slope class, soil texture, and management limitations. Review of hydrologic records, including historic records of magnitude and duration of events, frequency curves, flood history, and records of past wildfires. These resources help the hydrologist understand a watershed’s response to fire. The access and travel management plan and road management objectives, which are products of the roads analysis process, provide information on roads including jurisdiction, maintenance level, and resource concerns. 

Next, the field review focuses on the fire’s effect, such as changes in vegetation cover and watershed response, and identifies potential values at risk. The BAER team specialists look at: 

• Amount and distribution of high and moderate burn severity within each watershed. 
• Presence and extent of water-repellent soils. 
• Presence and extent of effective soil cover. 
• Potential needle-cast from existing vegetation. 
• Vegetative recovery timeframe and potential for noxious and invasive plant spread. 
• Flood-prone areas and downstream effects. 
• Debris-prone areas and downstream effects. 
• Flood-source areas and downstream effects. 
• Potential for stream diversion at trail and road crossings. 
• Channel stability and riparian vegetation conditions. 
• Potential for increased erosion or sedimentation. 
• Potential for water quality deterioration. 
• Barriers to natural water flow (e.g., fencing, stockponds, dams). 
• Physical hazards at campgrounds, trailheads, and facilities. 
• Capacity and condition of structures at stream crossings. 
• Condition of road infrastructure including signs, guardrails, and road delineators. 
• Potential hazardous materials contamination created or exposed by the fire. 
• Downstream values outside the fire perimeter that may be at risk. 
• Potential impacts on road and trail prisms to increased erosion and runoff from adjacent hillslopes. 
• Access needs on routes throughout the burned area to facilities, residences, and campgrounds.  

Outcomes 

Once the assessment is completed, the BAER team presents its findings in an assessment report that identifies immediate and emergency actions needed to address post-fire risk to human life and safety, property, cultural, and critical natural resources. This includes early detection and rapid response treatments to prevent the spread of noxious weeds into native plant communities. The BAER report describes watershed pre-fire and post-fire watershed response information, areas of concern for life and property, and recommended short-term emergency stabilization measures for lands that burned. 

In most cases, only a portion of the burned area is treated. Severely burned areas, steep slopes, and places where water run-off will be excessive and may impact important resources, are focus areas and described in the BAER assessment report if they affect values-at-risk. Time is critical if the emergency stabilization measures are to be effective. 

Funding 

Special emergency wildfire suppression funds are authorized for BAER activities and the amount of these expense varies with the severity of the fire season. Some years see little BAER activity, while other years are extremely busy. 

Wildfire Rehabilitation Efforts and Treatment Selection 

There are three phases of rehabilitation following wildfires on federal lands: 

1. Fire Suppression Damage Repair 
2. Emergency Stabilization – Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) 
3. Long-Term Recovery and Restoration 

The Assessment and Review Process 

Fire Suppression Damage Repair 

A series of immediate post-fire actions taken to repair damages and minimize potential soil erosion and impacts resulting from fire suppression activities and usually begins before the fire is contained, and before the demobilization of an Incident Management Team. This work repairs the hand and dozer lines, roads, trails, staging areas, safety zones, and drop points used during fire suppression efforts. 

Emergency Stabilization – Burned Area Emergency Response 

A rapid assessment of burned watersheds by the BAER team to identify imminent post-wildfire threats to human life and safety, property, and critical natural or cultural resources on federal lands and take immediate actions to implement emergency stabilization measures before the first major storms. Fires result in loss of vegetation, exposure of soil to erosion, and increased water runoff that may lead to flooding, increased sediment, debris flow, and damage to critical natural and cultural resources. BAER actions such as: seeding, mulching, installation of erosion and water run-off control structures, temporary barriers to protect recovering areas, and installation of warning signs may be implemented. BAER work may also replace safety related facilities; remove safety hazards; prevent permanent loss of habitat for threatened and endangered species; and prevent the spread of noxious weeds, and protect critical cultural resources. 

Long-Term Recovery and Burned Area Rehabilitation 

In some cases, DOI may provide additional funding to improve burned areas and achieve desired conditions for up to five years after containment. Burned Area Rehabilitation (BAR) supports the healing process and provides a “bridge” to long-term recovery. Allocation of BAR funds involves a rigorous and competitive process to evaluate projects to ensure the most critical areas receive treatment first. 

This phase utilizes non-emergency actions to improve fire-damaged lands that are unlikely to recover naturally and to repair or replace facilities damaged by fire that are not critical to life and safety. This phase may include restoring burned habitat, reforestation, other planting or seeding, monitoring fire effects, replacing burned fences, interpreting cultural sites, treating noxious weed infestations, and installing interpretive signs. 

What BAER may do:

Install water or erosion control devices

Plant for erosion control or stability reasons.

Install erosion control measures at critical cultural sites.

Install temporary barriers to protect treated or recovering areas.

Install warning signs.

Replace minor safety related facilities.

Install appropriate-sized drainage features on roads, trails.

Remove critical safety hazards.

Prevent permanent loss of threatened and endangered habitat.

Monitor BAER treatments.

Implement early detection and rapid response treatments to minimize the spread of noxious weeds into native plant communities

What rehabilitation activities may NOT be done by BAER:

Replant commercial forests or grass for forage.

Excavate and interpret cultural sites.

Replace burned pasture fences.

Install interpretive signs.

Replace burned buildings, bridges, corrals, etc.

Repair roads damaged by floods after fire.

Replace burned wildlife habitat.

Monitor fire effects.

Treat pre-existing noxious weeds

Tools of the Trade 

Once a BAER team determines that a fire has created an urgent need to implement emergency stabilization measures, the treatment selection process begins. The BAER assessment team identifies appropriate treatments and measures that best respond to the potential threats or hazards using reliable and proven land, channel, road/trail, and protection/safety methods. In some cases, treatments may not be practicable so some other measure may be prescribed, such as administrative closures. Often several treatments are recommended to reduce or mitigate the effect of the threats in a burned area. The BAER team considers numerous treatment-selection factors in consultation with the agency administrator and leadership team including: 

• Nature of downstream values at risk 
• Effectiveness of treatment 
• Treatment combinations, such as land, channel, road/trail, protection/safety, to reduce risks 
• Timeframe for implementation 
• Personnel and resources available for implementation and monitoring 
• Hazards associated with treatment implementation 
• Ease of treatment implementation 
• Cost effectiveness of treatments 
• Coordination with other federal, state, and local agencies 

Generally, a combination of land, channel, road/trail, and protection/safety treatments are selected. The synergy of treatments often provides the most effective set of stabilizing factors. Not all treatments are as effective at obtaining the emergency stabilization objectives. 

Land Treatments 

Land treatments stabilize burned areas by preventing or reducing fire’s adverse effects. They foster recovery by providing soil cover and reducing erosion, trapping sediment and reducing sedimentation, and/or reducing water repellency and improving infiltration. They also maintain ecosystem integrity by preventing expansion of unwanted species. 

Bureau and Agency Specific Links 

• Bureau of Indian Affairs 
• National Park Service 
• U.S. Forest Service

For more information visit: https://www.nifc.gov/programs/post-fire-recovery.

CLINTS WELL, Ariz., June 25, 2021 — The Snake Fire, located about 7 miles west of Clints Well on the northern edge of West Clear Creek, is holding at 130 acres and 60 percent containment.

A combination of topography and terrain have made it challenging to both survey the fire and work to contain it, and a combination of both topography and fire activity have made it difficult to investigate the cause of the fire, which is still unknown.

Crews plan to spend Friday securing both dozer and hand lines, which are all holding. There has been no growth on the fire in the past two days.

Current resources include one engine.

Nearby communities, including those to the east and northeast of the fire, remain on "Set" evacuation status. Residents of nearby areas are encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts through Coconino County, and the Coconino NF will continue to assess the needed alert status with Coconino County.

Smoke will be visible to the public in the areas of Happy Jack Lodge, Clear Creek Pines Units 1 and 2, and those traveling along Forest Highway 3.

The Snake Fire was reported at 2:36 p.m. Monday by the Apache Maid Lookout.

The Coconino NF remains closed while fire personnel work to contain multiple fires across the forest.

Residents are reminded to refrain from flying drones in and around any wildfire. Not only is drone use over fire operations illegal, it also disrupts aerial firefighting operations, creating hazardous conditions and grounding aerial resources, which means they can't fight the fire.

Details about the Snake Fire will be posted on InciWeb, as well as Facebook and Twitter.

SNAKE FIRE OVERVIEW:

CLINTS WELL, Ariz., June 24, 2021 — The Snake Fire, located about 7 miles west of Clints Well on the northern edge of West Clear Creek, is now 130 acres and 60 percent contained.

The reason for the increase in acreage is due to more accurate mapping. A combination of topography and terrain have made it challenging to both survey the fire and work to contain it, and a combination of both topography and fire activity have made it difficult to investigate the cause of the fire, which is still unknown.

Crews spent Wednesday strengthening hand line built on the canyon rim. Crews were quick to build line around 80 percent of the fire, but the aforementioned rough terrain has made it difficult for crews to work in the West Clear Creek drainage.

While the Snake Fire did receive roughly a quarter-inch of rain yesterday and Tuesday, the full closure of the Coconino National Forest will remain in effect as weather conditions across much of the forest remain windy and dry.

Nearby communities, including those to the east and northeast of the fire, remain on "Set" evacuation status. Residents of nearby areas are encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts through Coconino County, and the Coconino NF will continue to assess the needed alert status with Coconino County.

Current resources include two engines and one Hotshot crew.

Smoke will be visible to the public in the areas of Happy Jack Lodge, Clear Creek Pines Units 1 and 2, and those traveling along Forest Highway 3.

The Snake Fire was reported at 2:36 p.m. Monday by the Apache Maid Lookout.

Residents are reminded to refrain from flying drones in and around any wildfire. Not only is drone use over fire operations illegal, it also disrupts aerial firefighting operations, creating hazardous conditions and grounding aerial resources, which means they can't fight the fire.

Details about the Snake Fire will be posted on InciWeb, as well as Facebook and Twitter.

SNAKE FIRE OVERVIEW:

CLINTS WELL, Ariz., June 22, 2021 — The Snake Fire, located about 7 miles west of Clints Well on the northern edge of West Clear Creek, is currently 71 acres in size and 20 percent contained.
Nearby communities, including those to the east and northeast of the fire, remain on "Set" evacuation status. Residents of nearby areas are encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts through Coconino County.
The fire is still active in the West Clear Creek Drainage. Crews spent Tuesday working to secure a dozer and hand line combination that was constructed around the portion of the fire located above the drainage. However, terrain is hampering access to the portion of the fire located in the drainage.
Current resources include two engines, one Hotshot crew, and a dozer, as well as supporting air resources from the Backbone Fire.
Smoke will be visible to the public in the areas of Happy Jack Lodge, Clear Creek Pines Units 1 and 2, and those traveling along Forest Highway 3.
The Snake Fire was reported at 2:36 p.m. Monday by the Apache Maid Lookout, and the cause of the wildfire is still unknown.
Details about the Snake Fire will be posted on InciWeb, as well as Facebook and Twitter.
SNAKE FIRE OVERVIEW:

• Current size: 71 acres.
• Containment: 20 percent
• Reported: 2:36 p.m. June 21, 2021.
• Cause: Unknown. Under investigation.
• Origin location: About 7 miles west of Clints Well (GPS coordinates: 34.567, -111.45)
• Fuel types: Brush, grass, ponderosa pine.
• Current resources: One Hotshot crew, two engines, one dozer and miscellaneous overhead. Total personnel: About 50.
• Predicted smoke impacts: Around Happy Jack Lodge, Clear Creek Pines Units 1 and 2, and Forest Highway 3.
• Recent and current operations: Crews are securing dozer and hand lines constructed above the West Clear Creek Drainage.

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. —Several communities are in SET status because of the Rafael and Snake Fires.Coconino County uses a READY, SET, GO system during fire season. Residents should be in a READYstatus at all times, prepared and monitoring the situation. SET status means to be prepared to evacuateat a moment’s notice. SET status means there is danger in the area. GO means evacuate now.Due to the Rafael Fire, all areas south of 1-40, west of I-17, including Westwood Estates, Camp Navajo,Equestrian Estates, Flagstaff Ranch, Upper Oak Creek Canyon west of 89, University Heights, MountainDell, Kachina Village, Forest Highlands, Pine Del, Woody Mountain Road south of I-40, Garland Prairieand Pine Aire Estates and residents in between are in SET status.As a result of the Snake Fire, residents of Happy Jack Lodge, Clear Creek Pines 1 and 2, Mahan Park, PoorFarm, and Fisher Properties are in SET status.Residents in these areas are asked to begin preparing for a possible GO order to evacuate at a moment’snotice and are advised to locate their emergency go kit and be ready to evacuate. This is NOT anevacuation notification.Click here for an accompanying map: www.coconino.az.gov/2021firemap. Users can zoom in and out tosee fires in the area, as well as READY, SET, GO status. Please click on the “i” in the top right corner forthe fire information and the map legend. Users can select a specific fire map by clicking on the left-handnavigation on their desktop computer or scrolling at the bottom of the screen on their mobile phone.Coconino County Emergency Management (CCEM) has activated an Emergency Operations Center inresponse to the fires. A Call Center has also been set up to answer questions. Residents may call928.679.8647 or email rafaelfire@coconino.az.gov . Updated fire information is available athttps://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7567. Sign up for Emergency Notifications atwww.coconino.az.gov/ready

CLINTS WELL, Ariz., June 22, 2021 — The Snake Fire, located about 7 miles west of Clints Well on the northern edge of West Clear Creek is currently 45 acres, and firefighters have lined approximately 80 percent of the fire.
Air and ground resources, to include two engines, a Hotshot crew, dozer, and helicopter are keeping the fire from growing atop the ridge of West Clear Creek. However, parts of the wildfire have creeped down into the canyon, so air resources from the Backbone Fire are supporting the suppression of the Snake Fire.
The Snake Fire was reported at 2:36 p.m. on Monday by the Apache Maid Lookout, and the cause of the wildfire is unknown. More information will be shared as it is received.