Bush Fire

[nonot]

BUSH FIRE EVENING UPDATE: The Bush Fire started at approximately 2:00 pm today, near the intersection of Bush Hwy and Hwy 87. The fire is estimated to be 600 acres, and burning to the north towards the Sugarloaf Recreation area along the southbound lanes of Hwy 87. The fire has crossed Hwy 87 to the east and is now burning along Four Peaks Road. There is no containment at this time.

Currently there are 9 engines, 2 hotshot crews and 4 airtankers assigned to the fire. Three additional crews and multiple engines have been ordered, and are responding to the fire. Firefighters are working to hold the fire on the west side of Hwy 87, and are building containment lines and using firing operations to suppress the fire.

Hwy 87 is currently closed in both directions at the FS RD 143, which is the road to Four Peaks and Sugarloaf. At this time, Lower Sycamore Canyon, Sugarloaf Recreation area and Four Peaks Recreation area are closed. The Bush Fire is currently under investigation. Law enforcement personnel are conducting sweeps of the closure areas to safely escort members of public out of the fire area. No structures are threatened at this time and no injuries have been reported.

TLDR: 87 is closed at 4 peaks road and you will have to go through globe to get to payson

Edit: Now the reroute through globe is no longer viable, access between payson and phoenix is via camp verde

Edit2: Fire has been contained and the highways reopened, thanks to the firefighter crews.

[ALMAL]

@pixelfrog
I hope it doesn't. Sadly, I've spent very little time inside that triangle since I moved here in 2007, maybe 1 hike. I just drove that stretch of 188 for the first time on Sunday afternoon, because I had to getting back from Payson.

[nonot]

I would hope that in the interests of protecting Tonto Basin and the Roosevelt Dam facilities, they will use 188 (and perhaps Roosevelt lake itself) for containment. But it is not currently mentioned in their plan. If it jumps the Tonto River near Jakes corner they won't likely be able to stop it until it hits Show Low.

I am seeing what I interpret as back burning activity now just south of Tonto Basin on the sat maps.

[chumley]

@ALMAL I’m not qualified to make that kind of assessment. But I would guess it only takes a windy day to hop the highway and from there anything goes, including hellsgate, pleasant valley, and the ancha.

You have to believe they have set up the 188 as a pretty solid line though. Besides the current cut of pavement, crews can eliminate fuels through back burns. Bulldozer lines can be dug where additional breaks are needed and the highway provides easy access for hand crews to assist on the ground when retardant drops help slow forward spread.

We hope...

[big_load]

But I would guess it only takes a windy day to hop the highway and from there anything goes, including hellsgate, pleasant valley, and the ancha.

Probably so.

[CannondaleKid]

4Peaks have no smoke around them at all and are totally visible. big column of clouds near what is maybe Pine Flat?

Here's a photo taken at 2 pm today from Peak 2303:
New plumes of smoke from near Alder Saddle(?)

Video: Smoke from Bush Fire (filmed at 2 pm from the north slope of Peak 2303)

[trekkin_gecko]

https://wildfiretoday.com/2020/06/17/bu ... velt-lake/

[ALMAL]

@chumley
That was less of a question and more like a prayer, that it doesn't get into the Ancha. I'm sure airborne embers can travel many miles.
Add stronger winds and super low humidity, and it almost seems inevitable...

[Jim]

Looking at the Active Fire Map, I see Mount Ord is currently burning. Ord did not burn yesterday, that was another members misinterpretation of the map. The current large plume is the result of the south slope burning up to the summit, from the south.

However, the pixelization of the data points makes interpreting the current boundary along HWY 87 difficult. It almost looks like the fire may have slopped across 87 to the north or west of the road. It would be interested in knowing one way or the other, if someone has information.

https://fsapps.nwcg.gov/afm/data/active ... 0_0700.jpg

[chumley]

@Jim_H
My interpretation is that the hot spots on the map at Mt. Ord and across the Beeline at Sunflower are back burns being conducted for structure protection. At least that would be the hope.

[CannondaleKid]

@chumley
Current NASA fire map shows it has crossed west over AZ 87 just south of Sunflower, looks like it's headed up Diamond Mountain and toward Indian Spring Peak. Must be real change in wind direction.
View toward Ord at 10 am this morning from Hawes area

[pixelfrog]

It's moving across Tonto Creek.

[trekkin_gecko]

seems like this really blew up behind four peaks in the last hour or so

[nonot]

@chumley
Current NASA fire map shows it has crossed west over AZ 87 just south of Sunflower, looks like it's headed up Diamond Mountain and toward Indian Spring Peak. Must be real change in wind direction.
View toward Ord at 10 am this morning from Hawes area

I recommend you turn off the Terra points, as it has not appeared to be accurate for this area. It was showing the same thing happening yesterday and the day before. The remainder of the satellites show it is being held to the east side of 87.

Same thing with respect to someone showing it jumping the Tonto/188, only Terra is indicating that but the others are not. I do not know why the Terra registration is so far off but it's an old bird so it may just be its accuracy is reduced.

[CannondaleKid]

@nonot
good to know...

[jacobemerick]

Jake's Corner just went to 'GO'.

[pixelfrog]

@nonot
I'm using Mapping Support, not NASA's fire map and it has been very accurate in the past. It does show it both to the west of 87 near Sunflower and across Tonto Creek. I hope it is wrong, but I doubt it.

I'd link to it but don't want to be branded a spammer.

[ShatteredArm]

@pixelfrog
The update this morning mentioned that they would be doing a back burn from 87 just south of Sunflower, so it seems unlikely to have jumped the highway in this exact location.

[big_load]

It's moving across Tonto Creek.

There's a lot of archeology in the burn area.

[nonot]

They are back burning on both sides of 188 for the ~10 miles north of the dam, but the back burning they are doing between four peaks road and punkin center does not appear to have jumped the highway in the latest images I have. One thing to keep in mind is that as the heat rises, it can get moved by winds, and the satellite may not be directly overhead. If the satellite detects the heat of the atmosphere blown by the fire it plots that heat point where that direction it's looking would hit the ground. Thus, you can get temporary points which are off of the boundary of where the fire actually is.

So I'd agree that technically there are points on the wrong side of the highway it will show you. I do not agree that means the fire has jumped the highway yet.

[pixelfrog]

@nonot very true, makes sense. Fingers and toes crossed!