WHITE MOUNTAIN ZONE 

Incident Management Team 

Ben Plumb – Incident Commander 

Public Information Officer: 928-245-1585                               

G22 Fire Transitions from Type 3 to Type 4 Command Today 

G22 Fire Final Update: Saturday, April 17, 2021 

Location of Origin: 10 miles northwest of Cibecue, Arizona 

Start Date: April 3, 2021        

Size: 2,026 Acres        

Cause: Under Investigation    

Percent Contained: 70                                                           

Personnel: 56                        

Fuels: Grass/brush understory, snags, pine-stringers 

Resources Assigned: 2 Type 6 engines, 1 Type-4 engine, 1 dozer, 2 Type-2 IA hand crews, 1 water tender, 1 medical team, 1 type 3 Helicopter, and miscellaneous overhead. 

The G22 Fire started on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation on April 3, 2021. Conditions at the time were extremely dry and the fire, burning in steep rugged terrain, quickly grew beyond the capacity of available firefighting resources under the command of a Type 4 organization. On April 8 the White Mountain Zone Type 3 Incident Management Team was requested to assist, and soon after assumed command of the G22 fire, led by Incident Commander Ben Plumb. In recent days the fires activity and growth have moderated, and containment has increased significantly. Today the fire will transition from the White Mountain Zone Type 3 Team back to a Type 4 fire organization led by Incident Commander Danny Taylor. This will be the final update on the G22 fire from the White Mountain Zone Type 3 Incident Management Team unless conditions worsen, or factors determine otherwise.  

Incident Commander (trainee) Justin Gabler said, “On behalf of the White Mountain Zone Incident Management Team, I would like to sincerely thank all of the firefighting resources for their tireless commitment to suppressing the G22 Fire. I would also like to acknowledge the major contributions from the BIA Forestry & Wildland Fire Management - Fort Apache Agency, the Agency Administrators, Cooperating Agencies, and all our partners. The assistance and support they provided during this incident were critical to the overall success of this incident, our team, and everyone involved”.   

Operations: Firefighters, under the command of the Type 4 organization, will continue to work today to keep the fire within established containment lines.  

Weather: Near seasonable temperatures and light winds are expected over the next few days. Winds today will be 5 to 12 mph with gusts up to 20 mph and a high of 61 degrees. Chances for scattered rain showers and possibly a thunderstorm increase each day, with Sunday looking to be the most likely day for any precipitation.  

Closures: The junction of the 27/28 road, north of Grasshopper Ranch and Salt Creek north of Chediski Lookout, is closed due to fire activity.    

Values at risk: Fire fighter and public safety are the highest priorities for the incident management team. The G22 fire area includes important lands to the White Mountain Apache people. Firefighters are working to protect commercial timberlands, watersheds, riparian areas, rangelands, heritage sites, and recreation and wilderness areas. 

Safety: Smoke may be visible from Cibecue and White Mountain communities, and along U.S. 60 and 260. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures. 

Official fire information can be found on these sites. 

• G22 Fire Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7371/ 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BIAFAAFireMgt/
• ADEQ Air Quality Information: https://azdeq.gov/node/7077

WHITE MOUNTAIN ZONE 

Incident Management Team 

Ben Plumb – Incident Commander

Public Information Officer: 928-245-1585                               

Firefighters Work To Contain G22 Fire 

G22 Fire Update: Friday, April 16, 2021 

Location of Origin: 10 miles northwest of Cibecue, Arizona 

Start Date: April 3, 2021        

Size: 2,026 Acres        

Cause: Under Investigation    

Percent Contained: 50                                                           

Personnel: 55                        

Fuels: Grass/brush understory, snags, pine-stringers 

Resources Assigned: 2 Type 6 engines, 1 Type 4 engine, 1 dozer, 1-Type 2 IA hand crew, 1 water tender, 1 medical team, 1 type 3 Helicopter, and miscellaneous overhead. 

Operations: Firefighters patrolled and mopped up hot spots and assessed any other threats to containment lines yesterday. Today fire crews will continue to deploy the same tactics to further secure all containment lines, assess any hazard trees and hold the fire within the established perimeters. There are remaining unburned islands within the interior of the fire that may still burn, but those do not pose a threat to containment lines. More firefighting resources will be released today due to moderated fire activity and an increase in containment. 

Weather:  Lighter winds, 5-10 mph, are expected today with continued dry conditions and a high of 59 degrees. Tomorrow’s forecast is calling for a slight chance of showers and isolated thunderstorms with little to no accumulation expected.  

Closures: The junction of the 27/28 road, north of Grasshopper Ranch and Salt Creek north of Chediski Lookout, is closed due to fire activity.    

Values at risk: Fire fighter and public safety are the highest priorities for the incident management team. The G22 fire area includes important lands to the White Mountain Apache people. Firefighters are working to protect commercial timberlands, watersheds, riparian areas, rangelands, heritage sites, and recreation and wilderness areas. 

Safety: Smoke may be visible from Cibecue and White Mountain communities, and along U.S. 60 and 260. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures. 

Official fire information can be found on these sites. 

• G22 Fire Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7371/ 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BIAFAAFireMgt/
• Apache-Sitgreaves NFs: https://www.fs.usda.gov/news/asnf/news-events
• ADEQ Air Quality Information: https://azdeq.gov/node/7077

 WHITE MOUNTAIN ZONE 

Incident Management Team 

Ben Plumb – Incident Commander

Public Information Officer: 928-245-1585                               

Red Flag Warning and Critical Fire Weather Conditions Persist 

G22 Fire Update: Thursday, April 15, 2021 

Location of Origin: 10 miles northwest of Cibecue, Arizona 

Start Date: April 3, 2021        

Size: 2,026 Acres        

Cause: Under Investigation    

Percent Contained: 50                                                           

Personnel: 159                      

Fuels: Grass/brush understory, snags, pine-stringers 

Resources Assigned: 4 Type 6 engines, 1 Type 4 engine, 2 dozers, 1-20 person IHC crews, 2-Type 2 IA hand crews, 10 person IA hand crew, 2 water tenders, 2 medical teams, 1 Rapid Extraction Medic Team (REMS), 1 type 3 Helicopter, and miscellaneous overhead. 

Operations: Fire crews on the G22 fire worked to assess all threats to fire lines yesterday and mopped up to extinguish any hot spots where burnout operations had occurred previously. Today, firefighters will patrol to look for threats and continue to mop up along containment lines on the north and east flanks. There are interior islands of unburned fuel that may still burn, and while these do not pose a threat, the primary objective is to maintain the fire within established containment lines. Some resources will be released this morning due to additional containment of the G22 fire.   

Alerts: A Red Flag Warning is in effect today from 10 am to 8 pm, and is due to critical fire weather conditions that are either occurring or are imminent. A combination of strong winds and low relative humidities can contribute to extreme fire behavior. 

Weather: The forecast is calling for southwest wind gusts of 20-35 mph, and a high near 60 degrees. 

Closures: The junction of the 27/28 road, north of Grasshopper Ranch and Salt Creek north of Chediski Lookout, is closed due to fire activity.    

Values at risk: Fire fighter and public safety are the highest priorities for the incident management team. The G22 fire area includes important lands to the White Mountain Apache people. Firefighters are working to protect commercial timberlands, watersheds, riparian areas, rangelands, heritage sites, and recreation and wilderness areas. 

Safety: Smoke may be visible from Cibecue and White Mountain communities, and along U.S. 60 and 260. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures.

Official fire information can be found on these sites.

·         G22 Fire Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7371/

·         Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BIAFAAFireMgt/

·         Apache-Sitgreaves NFs: https://www.fs.usda.gov/news/asnf/news-events

·         ADEQ Air Quality Information: https://azdeq.gov/node/7077

·         Red Flag Warning: https://www.weather.gov/fgz/ 
 

WHITE MOUNTAIN ZONE 

Incident Management Team 

Ben Plumb – Incident Commander

Public Information Officer: 928-245-1585                               

Red Flag Warning Signals Critical Fire Weather Conditions   

G22 Fire Update: Wednesday, April 14, 2021 

Location of Origin: 10 miles northwest of Cibecue, Arizona 

Start Date: April 3, 2021        

Size: 2,008 Acres        

Cause: Under Investigation    

Percent Contained: 21                                                           

Personnel: 172                      

Fuels: Grass/brush understory, snags, pine-stringers 

Resources Assigned: 8 Type 6 engines, 1 Type 4 engine, 2 dozers, 1-20 person IHC crews, 2-Type 2 IA hand crews, 10 person IA hand crew, 2 water tenders, 2 medical teams, 1 Rapid Extraction Medic Team (REMS), 1 type 3 Helicopter, and other miscellaneous incident management overhead. 

Operations: Fire crews mopped up yesterday in areas where burnout operations had occurred, and they assessed all threats to containment lines. Today, firefighters will patrol to look for any remnant hot spots near fire lines, and extinguish them, while continuing to mop up along the blackened portions of the fire to increase the width of containment lines along the north and east flanks. Some interior islands of unburned fuel, that pose no threat to containment lines, will continue to burn.        

Alerts: A Red Flag Warning is in effect today from noon to 8 pm, and is due to critical fire weather conditions that are either occurring or are imminent. A combination of strong winds and low relative humidities can contribute to extreme fire behavior. 

Weather: Southwest winds will become strong today with 40 mph gusts, and a forecasted high of 64 degrees. Relative humidities are expected to be in the teens. 

Closures: The junction of the 27/28 road, north of Grasshopper Ranch and Salt Creek north of Chediski Lookout, is closed due to fire activity.    

Values at risk: Fire fighter and public safety are the highest priorities for the incident management team. The G22 fire area includes important lands to the White Mountain Apache people. Firefighters are working to protect commercial timberlands, watersheds, riparian areas, rangelands, heritage sites, and recreation and wilderness areas. 

Safety: Smoke may be visible from Cibecue and White Mountain communities, and along U.S. 60 and 260. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures.

Official fire information can be found on these sites.

·         G22 Fire Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7371/

·         Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BIAFAAFireMgt/

·         Apache-Sitgreaves NFs: https://www.fs.usda.gov/news/asnf/news-events

·         ADEQ Air Quality Information: https://azdeq.gov/node/7077

WHITE MOUNTAIN ZONE 

Incident Management Team 

Ben Plumb – Incident Commander

Public Information Officer: 928-245-1585                               

Firefighters Making Progress On G22 Firelines   

G22 Fire Update: Tuesday, April 13, 2021 

Location of Origin: 10 miles northwest of Cibecue, Arizona 

Start Date: April 3, 2021        

Size: 2,008 Acres        

Cause: Under Investigation    

Percent Contained: 21                                                           

Personnel: 171                      

Fuels: Grass/brush understory, snags, pine-stringers 

Resources Assigned: 8 Type 6 engines, 1 Type 4 engine, 2 dozers, 2-20 person IHC crews, 2-Type 2 IA hand crews, 10 person IA hand crew, 2 water tenders, 2 medical teams, 1 Rapid Extraction Medic Team (REMS), 1 type 3 Helicopter, 1 Type 1 Helicopter, and other miscellaneous incident management overhead. 

Operations: Yesterday’s burnout operations were successful and threats to containment lines have been moderated. Crews will continue to monitor areas where firing operations were conducted yesterday and will work to hold the burned edges on the south and west flanks. Firefighters will mop-up along the already burned flanks today, extinguishing any hot spots, to increase the width of the blackened edges and secure containment lines along the north and east flanks. 

Closures: The junction of the 27/28 road, north of Grasshopper Ranch and Salt Creek north of Chediski Lookout, is closed due to fire activity.    

Weather: Winds will begin to strengthen today with expected gusts up to 28 mph, with a high of 68 degrees. A Fire Weather Watch is in effect from Wednesday afternoon through Wednesday evening, and is issued when the combination of dry fuels and weather conditions support extreme fire danger. 

Values at risk: Fire fighter and public safety are the highest priorities for the incident management team. The G22 fire area includes important lands to the White Mountain Apache people. Firefighters are working to protect commercial timberlands, watersheds, riparian areas, rangelands, heritage sites, and recreation and wilderness areas. 

WHITE MOUNTAIN ZONE 

Incident Management Team 

Ben Plumb – Incident Commander 

Public Information Officer: 928-245-1585 

Firefighters Battle To Contain G22 Fire   

G22 Fire Update: Monday, April 12, 2021 

Location of Origin: 10 miles northwest of Cibecue, Arizona 

Start Date: April 3, 2021        

Size: 1,761 Acres        

Cause: Under Investigation    

Percent Contained: 10                                                           

Personnel: 159                      

Fuels: Grass/brush understory, snags, pine-stringers 

Resources Assigned: 7 Type 6 engines, 1 Type 4 engine, 2 dozers, 2-20 person IHC crews, 19-person IA hand crew, 10 person IA hand crew, 2 water tenders, 2 medical teams, 1 Rapid Extraction Medic Team (REMS), 1 type 3 Helicopter, 1 Type 1 Helicopter, and other miscellaneous incident management overhead. 

Operations: Yesterday, firefighters patrolled roads in the most active portions of the fire to assess any threats and extinguish hot spots near containment lines. Burnout operations were successful in holding the fires spread along the northern flank, and containment lines were completed. Prep work for additional burnout operations will continue today with the assistance of a type 1 helicopter that will be used to support tactical maneuvers. The priority for fire managers is to hold the already burned edges on the southern, western, and northern flanks. Crews will conduct firing operations on the eastern flank today.      

Closures: The junction of the 27/28 road, north of Grasshopper Ranch and Salt Creek north of Chediski Lookout, is closed due to fire activity.    

Weather: The forecast is calling for more warm and dry conditions with southwest winds gusting up to 23 mph and a high of 69. Winds are expected to increase tomorrow and could produce critical fire weather conditions. 

Values at risk: Fire fighter and public safety are the highest priorities for the incident management team. The G22 fire area includes important lands to the White Mountain Apache people. Firefighters are working to protect commercial timberlands, watersheds, riparian areas, rangelands, heritage sites, and recreation and wilderness areas. 

Safety: Smoke may be visible from Cibecue and White Mountain communities, and along U.S. 60 and 260. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures. 

Official fire information can be found on these sites. 

• G22 Fire Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7371/ 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BIAFAAFireMgt/
• Apache-Sitgreaves NFs: https://www.fs.usda.gov/news/asnf/news-events
• ADEQ Air Quality Information: https://azdeq.gov/node/7077

WHITE MOUNTAIN ZONE

Incident Management Team
Ben Plumb – Incident Commander
Public Information Officer: 928-245-1585                               
 

Wildland Fire Crews Fight Fire with Fire 

G22 Fire Update: Sunday, April 11, 2021

Location of Origin: 10 miles northwest of Cibecue, Arizona

Start Date: April 3, 2021       
Size: 1,711 Acres      

Cause: Under Investigation   
Percent Contained: 0                                                           

Personnel: 122                     
Fuels: Grass/brush understory, snags, pine-stringers

Resources Assigned: 7 Type 6 engines, 1 Type 4 engine, 2 dozers, 2-20 person IHC crews, 19-person IA hand crew, 10 person IA hand crew, 2 water tenders, 2 medical teams, 1 Rapid Extraction Medic Team (REMS), 1 type 3 helicopter, and other miscellaneous incident management overhead.

Operations: Roads act as critical holding features, or fire barriers, during burnout operations, and yesterday’s actions were successful and are holding steady. Firefighting crews worked to tie in, or connect, pieces of fire line to further secure perimeters along the active portions of the G22 fire. Prep work for additional burnout operations will continue today, and fire crews will look for opportunities to construct containment lines where it is safe to do so, while holding the already burned edges on the south and west flanks.

Closures: The junction of the 27/28 road, north of Grasshopper Ranch and Salt Creek north of Chediski Lookout, is closed due to fire activity.   

Weather: Cooler temperatures are expected today with highs near 69 degrees, and wind gusts up to 25 mph. A low pressure system is forecast to move into the area on Monday and could produce critical fire weather conditions on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Values at risk: Fire fighter and public safety are the highest priorities for the incident management team. The G22 fire area includes important lands to the White Mountain Apache people. Firefighters are working to protect commercial timberlands, watersheds, riparian areas, rangelands, heritage sites, and recreation and wilderness areas.

Safety: Smoke may be visible from Cibecue and White Mountain communities, and along U.S. 60 and 260. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures.

Official fire information can be found on these sites.

· G22 Fire Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7371/

· Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BIAFAAFireMgt/

· Apache-Sitgreaves NFs: https://www.fs.usda.gov/news/asnf/news-events

· ADEQ Air Quality Information: https://azdeq.gov/node/7077

WHITE MOUNTAIN ZONE 

Incident Management Team 

Ben Plumb – Incident Commander 

Public Information Officer: 928-245-1585                               

Firefighters Work To Corral G22 As Drying Trend Persists  

G22 Fire Update: Saturday, April 10, 2021 

Location of Origin: 10 miles northwest of Cibecue, Arizona 

Start Date: April 4, 2021        

Size: 1,611 Acres        

Cause: Under Investigation    

Percent Contained: 0                                                             

Personnel: 112                      

Fuels: Grass/brush understory, snags, pine-stringers 

Resources Assigned: 4 Type 6 engines, 1 Type 4 engine, 2 dozers, 20 person IHC crew, 19-person IA hand crew, 10 person IA hand crew, 2 water tenders, medical team, 1 type 3 helicopter, and other miscellaneous incident management overhead. 

Operations: A favorable shift in wind direction slowed the G22 fires progression along the most active portions of the northern flanks yesterday. A few spot fires were identified and quickly contained. Firefighters monitored prior burnout operations and continued to prep the G32 and Springs Ridge roads to mitigate spread. Today, firefighters will monitor fire activity from yesterday’s operations, and continue to utilize dozer and handlines to contain the fire along the north and eastern flanks, while holding the already burned edges on the south and west portions of the fire.  

Closures: The junction of the 27/28 road, north of Grasshopper Ranch and Salt Creek north of Chediski Lookout, is closed due to fire activity.    

Weather: The drying trend is expected to continue today with slightly warmer temperatures near 75 degrees, and wind gusts up to 25 mph in the afternoon. 

Values at risk: Fire fighter and public safety are the highest priorities for the incident management team. The G22 fire area includes important lands to the White Mountain Apache people. Firefighters are working to protect commercial timberlands, watersheds, riparian areas, rangelands, heritage sites, and recreation and wilderness areas. 

Safety: Smoke may be visible from Cibecue and White Mountain communities, and along U.S. 60 and 260. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures. 

Official fire information can be found on these sites. 

• G22 Fire Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7371/ 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BIAFAAFireMgt/ 
• Apache-Sitgreaves NFs: https://www.fs.usda.gov/news/asnf/news-events 
• ADEQ Air Quality Information: https://azdeq.gov/node/7077 

WHITE MOUNTAIN ZONE 

Incident Management Team 

Ben Plumb – Incident Commander

Public Information Officer: 928-245-1585                               

Weather and Rugged Topography Test Firefighting Efforts 

G22 Fire Update: Friday, April 09, 2021 

Location of Origin: 10 miles northwest of Cibecue, Arizona 

Start Date: April 4, 2021        

Size: 1,316 Acres        

Cause: Under Investigation    

Percent Contained: 0                                                             

Personnel: 111                      

Fuels: Grass/brush understory, snags, pine-stringers 

Resources Assigned: 4 Type 6 engines, 1 Type 4 engine, 2 dozers, 20 person IHC crew, 19-person IA hand crew, 10 person IA hand crew, 2 water tenders, medical team, 1 type 3 helicopter, and other miscellaneous incident management overhead. 

Operations: Driven by winds, warm weather, and dry fuels, the G22 fire increased in size yesterday, with most of the growth on the eastern flanks. Active fire behavior is expected again today, mostly along the north and northeastern portions of the fire. Movement on the southern edge has been minimal. Firefighters will assess holding features today and will look for containment opportunities while closely monitoring burnout operations.  

Closures: The junction of the 27/28 road, north of Grasshopper Ranch and Salt Creek north of Chediski Lookout, is closed due to fire activity.    

Weather: Today’s forecast is calling for mostly sunny skies with highs near 73 degrees, and wind gusts up to 20 mph. The drying trend is expected to continue with no precipitation in the near-term forecast. 

Values at risk: Fire fighter and public safety are the highest priorities for the incident management team. The G22 fire area includes important lands to the White Mountain Apache people. Firefighters are working to protect commercial timberlands, watersheds, riparian areas, rangelands, heritage sites, and recreation and wilderness areas. 

Safety: Smoke may be visible from Cibecue and White Mountain communities, and along U.S. 60 and 260. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures. 

Official fire information can be found on these sites.  

• G22 Fire Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7371/ 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BIAFAAFireMgt/
• Apache-Sitgreaves NFs: https://www.fs.usda.gov/news/asnf/news-events
• ADEQ Air Quality Information: https://azdeq.gov/node/7077

White Mountain Zone Type 3 Team Assumes Command of the G22 Fire

Thursday, April 08, 2021

Location of Origin: 10 miles northwest of Cibecue, Arizona

Start Date: April 3, 2021       
Size: 1,000 Acres      

Cause: Under investigation   
Percent Contained: 0                                                           

Personnel: 74                       
Fuels: Grass/brush understory, snags, pine-stringers

Resources Assigned: 5 Type 6 engines, 2 dozers, 20 person IHC crew, 19-person IA hand crew, 10 person IA hand crew, 2 water tenders, medical team, 1 type 3 helicopter, and other miscellaneous incident management overhead.

The G22 fire transitioned from a Type-4 organization to a Type-3 complexity fire when the White Mountain Zone Incident Management Team assumed command today at 6:00 a.m. 

Operations: The G22 fire is burning within the Rodeo-Chediski fire scar, in rugged terrain with a large volume of snags/dead trees. Windy conditions continue to test fire contingency lines along the northeast portion of the fire, and to keep the fire in check, burnout operations along the 22H road to the G22 junction were conducted. The southern flank of the fire has experienced only minimal movement. Firefighters will continue to construct handline in the southeast flank along Spring Creek to the 32C road junction.

Closures: The junction of the 27/28 road, north of Grasshopper Ranch and Salt Creek north of Chediski Lookout, is closed due to fire activity.   

Weather: Today’s forecast is calling for warm temperatures, with a high near 76 degrees. Winds are expected at 13 to 17 mph with gusts as high as 28 mph. Tonight will be clear with a low around 44. The drying trend is expected to continue with no precipitation in the near-term forecast.

Values at risk: Fire fighter and public safety are the highest priorities for the incident management team. The G22 fire area includes important lands to the White Mountain Apache people. Firefighters are working to protect commercial timberlands, watersheds, riparian areas, rangelands, heritage sites, and recreation and wilderness areas.

Safety: Smoke may be visible from Cibecue and along U.S. 60. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures.   

Official fire information can be found on these sites.

· Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BIAFAAFireMgt/

· Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/apachesitgreavesnfs/

·  ASNFs website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/news/asnf/news-events