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.
Fire activity has increased a ton on the Billy Fire since Sunday. Peterson Ranch was evacuated as the fire is now on Aztec Peak, moving down towards Moody Point and also moving back down into Reynolds Creek. It would be a travesty if all of these areas were roasted by this fire, which was nearly out just a few days ago.
@00blackout
Have you explored the map function of HAZ? Specifically, the perimeters for old (known) fires? If not, I recommend it.
BTW, the Billy is burning almost entirely within the 2016 Juniper Fire, and the 2000 Coon Creek Fire. The area you mention around Aztec Peak has hosted 2 fires, in the last 25 years. I have no information prior to 2000.
@Jim
I'm curious, what does me exploring the fire perimeter on HAZ have to do with me providing an update on the Billy Fire? So, because the fire is burning in a 25-year-old burn scar, it's okay? I'm not understanding what you are getting at.
[ Hot Loop Trail #94 ] might be smoking hot from the Woods Fire reported at 12:20 pm
Primarily a bunch of small to medium junipers. The west side ravines to Jack's Canyon are thick with Live Oak.
Update
2025-08-14 7:29 am: Boxed in with retardant @ 55 acres
2025-08-16 59 acres 50% contained
Vegetation Fire apx. one mile west of Washington Park and reported earlier today at two acres. Strong winds midafternoon and the fire apears much larger and spreading west.
One of the fire districts North of Payson has listed the fire west of Washington Park as the Vegetation Fire and the forest service is calling it the Washington Fire
As of 3 hours ago. WatchDuty shows the Washington Fire at 300 acres and 0 % contain. It shows it burning over FR300, but Coco still shows it open. https://app.watchduty.org/i/59905
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry
Some beneficial rain fell over both the Washington and Billy fires yesterday. No smoke visible on the Baker or Moqui cams but Diamond Point and Aztec aren't broadcasting.
I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.
Studying Billy fire map mult ruin sites in the burn area hope they fared ok. Unfortunately if the burn is severe some of the watershed re: Park canyon, Salome etc may have some negative impacts.
@RedRoxx44
FS reported they had an archaeological specialist on the fire staff and all wooden structures were being protected. Does that mean none were damaged…?
Either way don’t worry about it. There’s a previous burn perimeter on the map so it’s all ok.
I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.
Coco reduced their Stage 2 status to Stage 1 today. Due to the below average rainfall this summer, only Coronado and A-S forests have no fire restrictions currently in place.
I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.
Was up on the west area of the rim (Milk Ranch Point) last week and it's pretty interesting. Tried to decide if all the intermittent dead trees and understory on top of the rim were due to the West Webber Fire or drought or both. It rained very hard for awhile the first night, but the 2nd night just saw a sprinkle for about 30 minutes, the third night was barely a sprinkle at all. But it seemed like the area below got good rain all three nights. First time on this part of the rim, so not sure if it gets as much precip as some of the main parts get.
Lifeis not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming,"Wow What a Ride!"
@outdoor_lover
Post a photo set and hopefully you captured some of the tree stems as well as crowns, and I might be able to help. That is if you're not just being rhetorical.
@Jim @outdoor_lover
It was the 2024 "West" fire. It affected mainly portions of Milk Ranch Point, east of FR218 and down-rim and also the southern region of MRP. So if that's where you were, probably fire. [ photo ]
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry
@Jim I will at some point, that memory card is in storage at the moment. @The_Eagle It's interesting. Very patchy up top and a very wide area, and although there was an area that had a lot of dead pines, there was patches of dead understory (young maples, oaks and others) scattered for a long ways up and down that road. But when I hiked down off the rim on Webber, seemed more localized and compact. Did that fire start on top and run from top down or from bottom up? Almost seems like the stuff up top for the most part was smoke damage, where individuals succumbed discriminately?
Lifeis not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming,"Wow What a Ride!"
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