New Areas on “Set” and “Go” Evacuation Status

SALT FIRE
Location: 11 miles north of Globe, AZ near the junction of Hwy. 188 and SR 288
Cause:  Lightning
Percent containment:  0%
Fire Strategy: Full Suppression
Size: 21,000 acres
Vegetation:  Sonoran Desert Grass and Brush

Fire acreages are approximate, and maps are being updated as information becomes available. The overnight flight utilizing infrared imaging was not able to get an accurate acreage due to cloud cover.

FIRE ACTIVITY: The north section of the Salt Fire pushed towards Highway 188 yesterday driven by outflow winds from thunderstorms in the afternoon. The fire was most active along the southwest side of the fire where it has already crossed Hwy 188 and is moving towards Murphy Ranch Mountain. Today crews will concentrate on keeping fire from moving west toward Wheatfields, and keep the fire east of Pinal Creek and West of 188. Crews will work to minimize impacts to the values at risk in the area which include the communities near Wheatfields and Roosevelt, Pinto Valley Mine, APS/SRP powerlines, and Hwy 188/288. 

Communities Affected: As a result of the fires, the Gila County Sheriff's Office and Gila County Emergency Management have recommended the following areas be placed on "Go" Evacuation Status: All residents on Hicks Road between H&E Ranch and Pringle Pump. The following communities are on "Set" Evacuation Status: Areas on both sides of State Route 188 from Bixby Road to the 188 / 288 Junction, including Wheatfields, Roosevelt Estates, Roosevelt Resort, Rockhouse, Spring Creek, Hay Hook, and Quail Run. For more emergency alert and Red Cross evacuation information, visit http://www.readygila.com/.

Roosevelt Lake Recreation: Roosevelt Lake and adjacent recreation sites remains open to the public, with the exception of Bermuda Flat, Cholla Bay, and Bachelors Cove which are closed due to concerns for potential flooding after the Bush Fire earlier this summer.

Smoke: Smoke is forecasted to rise and disperse toward the east-southeast. The Globe-Miami area and San Carlos may also be impacted by smoke depending on prevailing winds. Overnight, as winds weaken, expect smoke to settle into Roosevelt and Globe-Miami. Salt Wildfire Smoke Forecast can be found at:  https://azdeq.gov/WildfireForecast?fire=saltfire

Weather: Winds are expected to be from the southwest from 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon with the possibility of strong outflow winds from thunderstorms in the evening up to 30 mph. Higher humidity levels around 30 percent are anticipated today. Temperatures are predicted to reach 96 degrees with a 10 percent chance of rain. Firefighters will be dealing with erratic gusty winds as well as the potential for more lightning from thunderstorms.
Values: Fire fighter and public safety are the highest priorities on these fires. The fire area includes multiple communities, power lines, mines, range improvements and historical sites, which firefighters are working hard to assess and protect.

Closures and Restrictions: ADOT has Hwy. 188 closed from the north end of Wheatfields Rd. north to mile marker 232 near Roosevelt.  SR 288 is closed from the junction of Hwy. 188 to FR 465. Highway 60 is closed from SR-73 to S Vuksanovich Drive. For more updates on highway closures and restrictions visit: https://www.az511.gov/

More Info: Official information on the fire can be found on these sites.

Incident Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Salt-Gin-Griffin-Fire-100936588404764/?modal=admin_todo_tour  

Salt Fire

Location: 11 miles north of Globe, AZ near the junction of Hwy. 188 and SR 288

Cause: Lightning

Percent containment: 0%

Fire Strategy: Full Suppression

Size: 13,000 acres

Vegetation: Sonoran Desert Grass and Brush

Gin Fire

Location: 5 miles northeast of Globe, AZ in the Apache mountains west of Hwy. 60

Cause: Lightning

Percent containment: 0%

Fire Strategy: Full Suppression

Size: 3,600 acres

Vegetation: Grass and Brush

Griffin Fire

Location: 1.5 miles north of the Gin Fire

Cause: Lightning

Size: 1000 acres

Percent containment: 0%

Vegetation: Grass and Brush

Fire Strategy: Full Suppression

 Fire activity:

Salt Fire: There was minimal fire activity on the east side of Hwy. 188 yesterday. There were two small spot fires near Pringle Pump and a 4-acre spot fire on the west side of SR 288 that crews were able to contain. The fire was most active west of Hwy. 188. Heavy smoke impacted the 500 KV powerlines operated by SRP and APS yesterday afternoon. They expect the fire to be active in the Granite Basin area today. Crews will work to minimize impacts to the values at risk in the area which include communities near Wheatfields and Roosevelt, Pinto Valley Mine, APS/SRP powerlines, and Hwy 188/288.

 

Gin Fire: The fire was most active on the northwest side yesterday in the Apache Mountains. Firefighters are using bulldozers and heavy equipment to clear along the existing road system to connect FR 220 to FR 224 in order to secure the southwest flank of the fire.

 

Griffin Fire: The fire backed down hill yesterday to the east. This morning the fire has moved east and is impcting State Highway 60. ADOT has temporarily closed the highway in both directions. Visit AZ511.gov for the latest information. Today crews will scout the north and east sides of the fire looking for holding features they may use to create containment lines.

 

Communities Affected: As a result of the Salt Fire, the Gila County Sheriff's Office and Gila County Emergency Management have recommended that the following areas be placed on "SET" mode on the Ready Set, Go! model: areas on both sides of Hwy 188 from Bixby Road to the 188/288 junction all of Wheatfields. This includes the areas between H&E Ranch and Pringle Pump, Roosevelt Estates, Roosevelt Resort, Rockhouse, Spring Creek, Hay Hook, and Quail Run.

 

THESE COMMUNITIES ARE NOT IMMEDIATELY THREATENED, THE 'SET' NOTIFICATION IS A PREPARATORY MEASURE.

 

For more emergency alert information, visit http://www.readygila.com/

Smoke: Overnight smoke from all three fires has flowed down the Pinal Creek drainage and settled into the Roosevelt Lake area. Yesterday Wheatfields, and communities around Roosevelt Lake and Tonto Basin areas were most affected by smoke. The Globe-Miami area and San Carlos may also be impacted by smoke depending on prevailing winds. Salt Wildfire Smoke Forecast can be found at: https://azdeq.gov/WildfireForecast?fire=saltfire

 

Weather: Winds are expected to be from the southwest from 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon with the possibility of strong outflow winds from thunderstorms in the evening up to 23 mph. Temperatures will range from 74 to 97 with a 20 percent chance of rain in the afternoon.

 

Values: Fire fighter and public safety are the highest priorities on these fires. The fire area includes multiple communities, power lines, mines, range improvements and historical sites, which firefighters are working hard to assess and protect.

 

Closures and Restrictions: ADOT has Hwy. 188 closed from the north end of Wheatfields Rd. north to mile marker 232 near Roosevelt. SR 288 is closed from the junction of Hwy. 188 to FR 465. For more updates on highway closures and restrictions visit: https://www.az511.gov/

 

More Info: Official information on the fire can be found on these sites. Salt Fire Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7019/

Gin Fire Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7017/

 

Griffin Fire Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7020/

 

Incident Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Salt-Gin-Griffin-Fire-100936588404764/?modal=admin_todo_tour

Salt Fire

The Salt Fire is located 10 miles southeast of Roosevelt Lake near the SR-188/288 junction. At 7 am this morning, a Type 2 Incident Management Team took control of the fire.

Today, smoke is forecast to rise and disperse toward the east-southeast, with light to moderate impacts possible in Globe-Maimi. Light impacts are also possible in San Carlos as smoke moves over the area.

This afternoon, there will be a chance of thunderstorms in the area, which may produce strong gusty outflow winds, resulting in increased fire behavior and smoke production. These winds could push brief periods of moderate smoke into Superior and Queen Valley.

Overnight, as winds weaken, expecting smoke to settle into Roosevelt and Globe-Miami. Smoke that settles into the region is expected to lift by 10 am. Tomorrow, we are expecting similar smoke dispersion as today.

Individuals who are sensitive to smoke are encouraged to be "smoke aware." If you smell smoke, you are breathing smoke; please take the necessary precautions to protect your health.
 
Full Smoke Forecast: https://azdeq.gov/wildfireforecast?fire=saltfire

The Tonto National Forest is currently in Stage 1 Fire Restrictions. These restrictions prohibit recreational target shooting.  They also prohibit campfires and charcoal BBQs outside of developed recreation and camping sites. See this order and get additional information on our website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/tonto

Location: Hwy 188/288 Junction                              Fuel Type: Grass/Brush

Size: 2,762 acres                                                        Date Detected: 08/17/20 6:00 pm

Cause: Lightning                                                       Containment: 0%

 

Tonto National Forest, August 19th 2020

The Salt Fire is currently 2,762 acres, and 0% contained. The fire is located 2 miles SE of the Hwy 188/288 junction.  The Salt Fire started on the evening of 08/17/20, and was caused by lightning.

Last night strong outflow winds from a passing thunderstorm pushed the fire west toward Hwy 188  which forced the closure of Hwy 188 from Copper Cities Rd (mm 225) to mm 231, and a portion of SR 288 from the Hwy 188 junction to Forest Road 465 (mm 262).

The wind shift last night prompted firefighters to burnout along Hwy 188 and SR 288 to secure the west flank of the fire. Today, crews will work to contain a 300 acre area where the fire crossed Hwy 188. Firefighters are also working to protect 3 structures in Pinal Creek along with mine infrastructure and power lines. There are no community evacuations in effect at this time.

Resources assigned to the Salt Fire include 8 engines, 1 hotshot crew, 1 water tender, 1 ambulance, and an air attack plane.  Additional resources are on order.  Southwest Area Incident Management Team 5 (Incident Commander Bernal) has been ordered to manage the Salt, Gin, and Griffin Fires.  They will in brief with the Tonto National Forest tonight at 8:00 pm, and assume command of the incident on 8/20/20.  With multiple Lightning fires burning on the Tonto National Forest, ordering an Incident Management Team will allow local fire resources to remain available for initial attack fires and other incidents. 

The Forest Service is being assisted by the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, ADOT, DPS, SRP, APS, and Gila County.

For updates on highway closures and restrictions visit the #ADOT website at  https://www.az511.com/

Everyone should be familiar with Arizona's Ready, Set, Go! Program.

Find more info at https://ein.az.gov/ready-set-go

The Tonto National Forest is currently in Stage 1 Fire Restrictions. These restrictions prohibit recreational target shooting.  They also prohibit campfires and charcoal BBQs outside of developed recreation and camping sites. See this order and get additional information on our website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/tonto

The Fires are transitioning to a T3 IMT at 5pm on 10-29-20.

TODAY:

Coleman Fire

Low temps and higher humidity will allow for more direct line to be cut around the fire edge today.

 

Dolan Fire

Patrols will continue along the west side of the fire. Grader work is planned for the South Coast Ridge Road and Plaskett Ridge Road. On the Nacimiento-Fergusson Road crews continue to repair drainage control structures and cut downed trees as necessary.  Suppression damage repair continues in the Cone Peak and Arroyo Seco areas.

CLOSURE ORDER REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE MONTEREY RANGER DISTRICT

The Monterey Ranger District of the Los Padres NF remains closed under Closure Order Number 05-07-51-20-22. This closure order is in place to provide for visitor and firefighter safety. Additionally, emergency fire restrictions are in effect until October 30.

CLOSURE ORDER REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE MONTEREY RANGER DISTRICT

The Monterey Ranger District of the Los Padres NF remains closed under Closure Order Number 05-07-51-20-22. This closure order is in place to provide for visitor and firefighter safety. Additionally, emergency fire restrictions are in effect until October 30.

TODAY:

Coleman Fire

Crews will take advantage of the higher humidity to extend direct handlines around the fire and mop up hot spots.

 

Dolan Fire

Road graders and water tenders will work to repair dirt roads on the south end of the fire area. Repairs will continue in the Cone Peak and Arroyo Seco areas.

 

Coleman Fire

Handcrews will continue to go direct with handline in order to increase containment on the fire. Helicopters remain committed to the fire and will conduct water bucket drops as needed. The remaining perimeter of the fire will be assessed to see where additional dozer work and handline can be safely completed to increase containment.

 

Dolan Fire

The last of the suppression repair work along Highway 1 is expected to be complete today. Two excavators continue to repair line around Cone Peak while another two conduct suppression work repair in the area of Arroyo Secco.