Stage 1 fire restrictions starting Friday, February 28th at 8:00 a.m.
Holbrook, AZ – On Tuesday, February 25th, the voting members of the White Mountain Fire Coordinating Group (WMFCG) convened to assess current forest conditions and weather patterns throughout the region. The members voted to recommend the enactment of Stage 1 fire restrictions in the unincorporated areas of Apache and Navajo Counties on Friday, February 28th, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. Several other agencies, including the USFS Apache-Sitgreaves Forests, Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, and select municipalities, will also implement similar restrictions.
Notably, Apache-Sitgreaves NF, which is part of the group, has not publicly posted the restriction yet (could just be that they don't currently employ anybody who can work their website -- A-S has always been a little slow on their comms team), though they are listed as a participating agency in the attached press release.
Apache-Sitgreaves NF spans the forest land along the Mogollon Rim across central and eastern Arizona from Knoll Lake to the New Mexico state line.
chumley wrote:*89A is closed -- 89 is the open route.
Right-you-are Chums.... Thanks!
"The censorship method ... is that of handing the job over to some frail and erring mortal man, and making him omnipotent on the assumption that his official status will make him infallible and omniscient."
George Bernard Shaw
@azbackpackr
Seems logical, therefore not likely for the gubment to implement that the WB 89A closure would be at House Rock Valley Rd. Access to: North Terminus AzT. White Pocket, Buckskin/Wave.from the south, and continues up to 89.
"The censorship method ... is that of handing the job over to some frail and erring mortal man, and making him omnipotent on the assumption that his official status will make him infallible and omniscient."
George Bernard Shaw
Both fires on the Kaibab Plateau seem to have exploded overnight, with the White Sage fire at 20k acres and covering most of the northern end of the plateau, and the Dragon Bravo fire now at 5k acres and threatening the N Rim campground and other facilities. The inner canyon is also closed due to concern about potential chlorine gas leaks.
Drove up to Page today. Smoke was noticeable all the down in Sedona and continued to get worse as we headed North. It was really bad North of Cameron until we climbed up through the Echo Cliffs, then it lessened closer to Page.
I've got a Grand Canyon trip tomorrow, so we will see what that looks like.
Under a confine-and-contain strategy, this fire was initially managed for resource objectives to mitigate future wildfire risks and benefit a fire-dependent ecosystem. Fire behavior and growth increased in recent days due to hot, dry, and windy conditions.
On the ground resources are now focusing on a full suppression strategy to protect structures in the North Rim developed area.
I'd like somebody to compile the data that tabulates how many acres of land in Arizona has burned outside of "management lines" under fires that were first designated to be managed under confine and contain strategies over the past 20 years, and how many more acres that is than those started by homeless people burning toilet paper.
I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.
The Billy Fire continues to burn with no containment on Center Mountain in the Sierra Ancha. The Reynolds Creek and Pueblo Canyon drainages appear to have been spared thusfar, but the Lucky Strike and Pueblo Mines area are within the reported perimeter.
I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.
Billy Fire apx 750 acres with zero containment. Type 3 Incident Management Team assigned with apx 170 crew members on scene. Murphy Ranch has been preped for strucural protection.
@Nighthiker
Spoke with a fire official over the weekend who gave a very positive impression on the status despite lack of official containment. Anything can happen, of course, but as described it sounded reasonably encouraging.
I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.
There is a good size fire west of the Black River and towards the White Mountains burning right now. A pic. attached from Reno L.O. today. There were a couple of other small fires burning in the area, but this one was by far the largest. All fires are recent ignitions from the storms earlier in the week.
According to inciweb hwy 89A is reopened; of course 67 south Jacobs Lake still closed. White Sage fire is pretty high in containment but edges of it are almost right on House Rock Valley Rd ( you know White pockets and the Wave to the North).
@FOTG
Is that the Draw Fire? I was up at Big Lake this morning. There were a couple of bucket helicopters getting water from the lake, coming and going. I read on Watch Duty app that they have a Hotshot crew, several hand crews, engine, dozer, etc., on the fire--90 people.
There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.
@ALMAL
Yes, although in spots it still seems a little premature out there. It’s as dry as I have ever seen it out there and in spite of recent rain. I could not even confirm if KP Creek is running. It’s the first time I have not seen water in the first mile and it was still bone dry when we turned around. A hiker had told me the FS told her KP was dry this year. I said they were crazy; they might not be wrong in hindsight. The bunch grass is still knee high and dry in a lot of the woods when you get below the 8k line too. A lot of conifers are browning up in large stands and numbers from the drought out there too. Stands of dead ponderosa can be viewed in the distance almost anywhere, especially as you near Alpine.
@FOTG
A bit more rain in the forecast here (I'm in Eagar) this week. We'll take what we can get. We had a nice steady overnight rain last week, and several other showers.
The LCR is running again, but not a lot.
There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.
@ShatteredArm
Ya we came down the S. Fork, which was in great shape BTW. But we turned around when it was clear there would not be water for the pups anytime soon.
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