Pius Fire Update
Monday, July 08, 2024

Location of Origin: 20 miles NE of Payson AZ            

Size: 460 acres 
Start Date: July 8, 2024                    

Percent Contained: 0
Cause: Undetermined                    

Fuels: Ponderosa Pine/Mixed Conifer
Personnel: 76            
Resources Assigned: 1 Initial Attack Crew, 4 Helicopters, 4 Engines, 5 Dozers, 1 Water Tender  
                
The Pius fire is located on the Black Mesa Ranger District, and is located southeast of the CC Cragin Reservoir, southwest of Wiggins Crossing, and north of Black Canyon Lake. The fire is currently managed under a Type 3 Incident Command structure with a full suppression strategy. Fire behavior exhibited extreme intensity today and was actively running, crowning to the tops of trees, and spotting ahead of the main fire. As a result of the increased growth and behavioral complexity, the Complex Incident Management Team, Team 1, led by Incident Commander Carl Schwope, will join in a formal in-brief on July 9 regarding the operational status of the Pius fire, and will assume command of the Pius fire at 6 a.m. on July 10, 2024.

Operations: The Pius fire is expected to continue to move to the south and southeast. Firefighting resources will look to establish an anchor point and will be using indirect and direct-attack tactics to establish flanking opportunities along the perimeter when it is safe to do so.

Evacuations: The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office has issued a “GO” status to evacuate immediately for people in and around Bear Canyon Lake and Knoll Lake including the areas north of Forest Road (FR)300, east of FR115, south of FR225, and west of FR34. The public is encouraged to follow the Ready, Set, Go! program to prepare for any threats to their community. Go to https://311info.net/ for accurate and timely status updates.

Smoke: Smoke is expected to impact the communities of Christohper Creek, Payson, Young, Forest Lakes, Heber-Overgaard, and Highway 260. All areas within proximity of the fire can be impacted by smoke, depending on wind directions and ventilation. Go to fire.airnow.gov/ to see the latest smoke conditions in your community.

Values at Risk: KV Powerlines are located roughly 4 miles southeast of the fire and supplies power to the Phoenix Metropolitan area. There are private inholdings in proximity to the fire location. Recreation areas along the Rim Lakes are located roughly 5 miles south of the fire location.

Weather: Hot and dry conditions are expected to continue with highs on July 9 expected to be 94 degrees. The forecast is calling for a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms with winds shifting from the southwest to the northwest at 10-15mph.
 

#VistaFire Update: This fire is managed under a full suppression strategy. Fire is burning in brush and timber within steep and rugged rocky terrain, making access difficult in some areas. Fire behavior was active on all fronts today and established in Cold Water Canyon and made significant uphill runs to the west. Crews attacked the fire from the ground and air, using fire engine modules to suppress the fire with hose lays, as hotshot crews and dozers cut line around the fire's perimeter. Aircraft were used to slow the progression at the head and flanks of the fire so crews could engage and cut line. The Mt. Baldy Resort has been evacuated as the area is still threatened. Poor air quality is impacting the community of Mt. Baldy. Visit AirNow.gov for information. Lytle Creek Road remains closed to the public, with access only to local residents. High temperatures continue to be a concern to firefighters as forecasts call for the same. This evening, the San Bernardino County Fire Department returned to Unified Command as the fire threatened Mt. Baldy. At 0600 tomorrow morning, California Complex Incident Management Team 15 will take command of the fire. The fire acreage will remain at 588 acres until an IR flight can be made. 

Air Attack is reporting the Royal Fire at 154 due to more accurate mapping. The fire has continued to hold within its footprint throughout the day and remains at 0% containment. Tankers have boxed the fire in with retardant. Three Type 1 helicopters have been performing water drops throughout the day. Crews have gained access to the incident and constructed handline across the head.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. 

As previously reported by Placer County’s Sheriff’s Office, the unaccounted-for hikers were found safely.

Evacuation warnings remain for the community of The Cedar’s. No additional evacuation warnings or orders have been issued today.

Tahoe National Forest is in unified command with CAL FIRE/Placer County Fire Department and Placer County Sheriff’s Office. View evacuation information: Placer County Sheriff's Office - Public Safety Map (arcgis.com)

Grapefruit Complex 

Daily Update: Monday, July 8, 2024

Alaska Incident Management Team 3 

Incident Commander- Peter Butteri   

Location: 40 Miles north of Fairbanks

Complex Acres: 87,434 

Personnel: 236  

Containment: 0% 

Completed Structure Preparation: 85% 

Crews are working toward finalizing structure protection measures, documenting assessment data, and collecting equipment no longer needed for operations. The work around the Native Allotments, included utilizing a masticator and crews to put in a fire break, has been completed. Slight showers continued to fall over the area Sunday, and 2-4” of rain were measured in the days since the rain event began. The forecast for Monday predicts drier conditions with only a chance of light rain over the fire. Partly cloudy skies with chilly temperatures are expected. Temperatures will be in the low to mid-40s, with highs struggling to reach 60. Minimum relative humidity will be 50% or higher. Winds will continue from the southwest, with gusts to around 18 mph. 

The Grapefruit Complex includes the Globe Fire (#253), Iver Fire (#249), Eagle Fire (#306), Wilber Fire (#308), Noodor Fire (#192), and Fossil Fire (#115). Crews continue to limit the fire’s impact on the Elliott Highway, Trans-Alaska Pipeline, Native allotments, and public and private structures, as well as reducing impacts to fish habitat along the Tatalina and Tolovana River corridors.  

Evacuations: The current levels are represented as: Ready (Green): Elliot Hwy MM 18-65 / Set (Yellow): None currently. / Go (red): None currently. 

Smoke: The fire perimeter is unlikely to change. However, as daytime temperatures rise and fuels dry out, some of the fuels that held heat through the rain event may produce smoke. Turning on your headlights is advised to help ensure the safety of firefighters and flaggers working in the area. 

Road access:  The Elliott Highway is open. Expect delays between mileposts 25-65 as firefighters work to remove equipment from the Wickersham Dome trailhead area. Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities temporarily repaired the road due to flooding at milepost 57, utilizing one lane and pilot cars to facilitate traffic flow. DOT is working on logistics for two 12-hour road closures, which could begin as early as Today, July 8th. Check https://511.alaska.gov/  for additional road updates. 

Temporary Flight Restriction:  No TFRs are in place over the fire area.  

Closures:  The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Eastern Interior Field Office closed the western portion of the White Mountains National Recreation Area surrounding the Wickersham Dome Trailhead at mile 28 Elliott Highway. The closure is in effect until Sept. 1, unless the BLM determines the area is safe for public use at an earlier time.

Public Information Map for Grapefruit Complex, July 8.jpg

Mon, 07/08/2024 - 15:36

The Lockett Fire experienced no growth over the weekend, staying within interior control lines built Friday and strengthened Saturday and Sunday. Today, crews will continue making improvements to prepare the planning area perimeter area along Forest Roads 307 and 310 and along dozer and hand lines connecting the two roads. 

Fire managers are planning to conduct firing operations beginning Tuesday to remove fuels and create a buffer along the planned area, allowing fire to move slowly and naturally through the interior while mitigating opportunities for escaping beyond the control lines. To reduce risks to ground crews, fire managers on the Lockett Fire plan to use a helicopter or an Uncrewed Aerial System (or drone) to conduct reconnaissance and ignitions in areas where entry by foot or vehicle is unsafe or impossible due to high temperatures and hazardous terrain. Prior to ignitions, a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) will be put in place as a buffer zone of safety for ground and air crews. 

The Lockett Fire planning area is surrounded by areas which have experienced prescribed and natural fire and is burning in the footprint of the 2014 Belknap Fire. These fires align with the Southwest ponderosa pine/grassland environment 10-year fire-return interval, the natural historic average time between wildfires in this ecosystem. The intended outcome of this fire includes encouraging the growth of native plants, increasing species diversity in the understory, and the restoration of wildlife habitat. 

Once ignitions begin, smoke will be visible various forest roads in the vicinity of the fire, along State Route 64/East Rim Drive within Grand Canyon National Park, and the Town of Tusayan. A 3-mile section of the Arizona Trail south of Grandview Tower will be temporarily rerouted along Forest Road 310.

Managing naturally caused wildfires across the landscape is a very effective tool in restoring the forest to a healthier condition, and these efforts align with the Forest Service's 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy, which aims to increase the use of fire on the landscape as well as other treatments to improve forest resiliency for generations to come.

Additional information can be found on the Kaibab NF website, X, Facebook, Flickr, or by calling the local ranger stations. 

Pioneer Fire Update for Sunday, July 8, 2024  

541-861-5808, staffed 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. 2024.pioneer@firenet.gov 

Incident Commander Jeff Dimke

Complex Incident Management Team Northwest 12

Start date: June 8, 2024  

Location: 31 miles northwest of Chelan, WA  

Containment: 14%  

Fire size: 9,055 acres  

Cause: Human caused, under investigation  

Total personnel: 604 

The Pioneer Fire is burning in the Chelan Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and on private land 31 miles northwest of Chelan. The communities of Stehekin, Chelan, and Manson are open and continue to welcome visitors. Fire managers are using a full-suppression strategy to protect private property, public infrastructure, and natural and recreation resources, while minimizing risks to responders and the public. Part of the rationale for a full-suppression strategy is that the origin of the fire was on private land, and it is suspected to have been human caused. Additionally, while much of the fire area is within wilderness, if the fire were to spread significantly, it could affect population centers.

Yesterday crews began assessing additional structure protection needs down lake of the fire area. Firefighters scouted and prepared the fireline along Nelson Butte with pumps, hose lays, and water handling equipment. A small spot fire was noted to the west of Goat Mountain, but this was held in check by aerial resources. Crews and heavy equipment improved roads southeast of the fire area for safer access. Pockets of heavy dead and down fuels in the drainage of Prince Creek continue to burn and contributed to the large amount of smoke production. On the north end of the lake, crews assessed and improved the protection around the structures along the lakefront and into Stehekin. 

Additional crews, engines, and aviation assets are being ordered for the fire as critical fire weather continues through this week. The hand line along Nelson Butte is staffed and prepared in the event a tactical firing operation is required to control the advancing wildfire. Additional resources will also be sent into the area of Antilon Lake to strengthen firelines in that area. Firefighters will continue to use aircraft to drop water while ground crews build and reinforce firelines and water systems. Two CL-215 “scooper” aircraft are now assigned to the fire and will augment the heavy helicopters dropping water buckets to cool the fire.

WEATHER: The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for Monday and Tuesday. There is a potential for record-breaking temperatures in the middle of the week and an increase in fire behavior and potential spread. Smoke is likely to travel over the Chelan area. The air quality outlook is at https://bit.ly/PioneerFireSmoke. Learn more about smoke at smokeready.org. The fire marshal raised fire danger ratings and restrictions; see https://t.ly/WLBds for more information. 

EVACUATIONS AND CLOSURES: Due to the increased fire behavior and spread, Chelan County increased evacuation levels. Please visit https://t.ly/QoH9w for more information. The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest has a closure order in place for much of the fire area. Details and maps are available at: https://bit.ly/PioneerClosure. Many recreation sites remain open and accessible.