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Highline Fire June 22, 2017 Evening Update: Type 1 Incident Management Team Will Transfer Command to the Local Forest Units in Coming Days
Release Date:
Contact(s): Highline Fire Information (928) 985-0097
Type 1 Incident Management Team Will Transfer Command to the Local Forest Units in Coming Days
Highline Fire - June 22, 2017 Evening Update
Acres: 7,198 acres Start Date: June 10, 2017
Cause: Unknown, under investigation Origin: 8 mi N of Payson in 1990 Dude Fire Scar
Containment: 92% Fuels: Grass, brush, heavy and down fuels, ponderosa pine
Total personnel: 421 and mixed conifer
The Southwest Area Incident Management Team #1 (Bea Day, Incident Commander) plans to transfer command of the Highline Fire to the local national forest units over the next 48 hours. They will transfer command of the northern portion of the fire above the Mogollon Rim (the area formerly known as the Bear Fire) to the Coconino National Forest on Friday morning and the southern portion of the fire below the Mogollon Rim to the Tonto National Forest on Saturday morning.
Smoke continues to be visible on the northern portion of the fire, where it continues to smolder and burn in interior pockets of previously unburned vegetation within the fire’s perimeter. Approximately 260 acres of interior growth occurred today. Crews continue work on the final piece of containment line of the east flank of Bear Canyon. They are mopping up and patrolling for hot spots along the remainder of the fire’s perimeter. Significant demobilization of resources is underway, making crews and equipment available to other wildfires.
Suppression repair will continue on dozer and handlines, equipment staging areas and safety zones. Repairs include construction of water bars to channel water off lines during monsoon rain events. In areas where brush was cleared crews are now using chippers to remove slash piles along control lines. The Highline and General Cook Scenic Trails will be repaired where they were used as a control line and impacted by suppression actions. Mitigation may include flush cutting stumps close to the ground, felling of hazard trees, and use of cut trees to prevent unauthorized off-highway vehicle (OHV) use in the future.
Hot, dry weather persists and will last through the weekend. Daytime winds will be light to moderate, gusty at times, and will generally be out of the west and southwest for the next few days.
All evacuations and pre-evacuations have been lifted. Some roads near the fire are only open to residents and businesses due to heavy fire equipment traffic and fire crews working in the area.
The Coconino and Tonto National Forests Closure Orders and Fire Restrictions remain in effect. The Coconino National Forest moved to Stage 2 Fire Restrictions today. For details, visit the Tonto National Forest website, https://www.fs.usda.gov/tonto/ and the Coconino National Forest website, https://www.fs.usda.gov/coconino.
Firefighters are working to protect values at risk by completing suppression efforts and repairing suppression impacts. Values include private property and adjoining communities, watersheds, pipelines, range improvements, powerlines, air quality, prehistoric and historic resources, federally protected species, and nationally and regionally significant trail systems.
Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Every time a drone is spotted near the fire all aircraft are grounded until we can be sure the drone is clear of this area. More info: Know Before You Fly, http://knowbeforeyoufly.org
InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5233/
Arizona Emergency Information: http://azein.gov
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/highlinefire