HikeArizona.COM

Quite the smoke plum in the Superstitions right now, generating several calls.

Nothing visible from my angle.....everything looks quiet now. Where are you at?

No smoke now, find a snake I show up.

I saw it all morning from MMRP. Posted some pics.

Looks a bit more substantial this afternoon from the bush highway

I'm not sure if this is the same fire but I saw a decent sized plume from the Rim Trail off FR300 near Payson here.

The fire started last friday (oe first reported) to Tonto National Forest (TNF) and it was located in the area of Tortilla Trailhead. Early Saturday morning it put up a large plume to around noon on Sun. Some folks living in Apache Junction and Mesa were reporting the fire. TNF may put up some info on the fire on their website. Very good picture Daydreamer21, if you had a bearing from where you were at we could plot it.

Daydreamer21 wrote:I'm not sure if this is the same fire but I saw a decent sized plume from the Rim Trail off FR300 near Payson here.

That fire is in the Sierra Ancha. I saw it quite clearly from the Beeline Sunday afternoon too.

Nighthiker wrote:Very good picture Daydreamer21, if you had a bearing from where you were at we could plot it.

I'm not an experienced GPS-er or anything but I used Google Earth to approximate where I was when I took that picture and I got these coordinates: 34.30682, -110.92449

I was on the Rim Trail, approximately .5 mi from the Rim Trail Vista parking area, looking south.

Photo appears to be taken from near Rim Lakes Vista:
http://hikearizona.com/map.php?QX=998

I've added some landmarks and approximate direction to the photo. From this it is clear that the fire is burning northwest of Aztec Peak but behind McFadden. I'd guess within a couple miles of Reynolds Creek and the 288.

See labeled photo (Photo #2 from Daydreamer21 photoset): edit: whoops! i reversed the east/west labels on the photo.

I found some info on the Tonto NF website. It appears there is a large prescribed burn in the area.

I've created a track that is a general outline of what is described in the press release:
http://hikearizona.com/map.php?QX=999

Chumley thanks for posting, coworkers son is working one of the fires on the PV District but not sure which one.

I took a drive up to the Tortilla trailhead today just to get out of town, and they had signs up and forest service people at the trailhead. It is a controlled burn.

Appears to be called the Tortilla Fire:

Acres: 1,702 * New fires: 1 Fires contained: 0
Tortilla (Tonto National Forest): 1,702 acres. This fire is 15 miles northeast of Apache Junction.

Fire Information Report for Tortilla
Wildland Fire Incident
Report Date: 23-AUG-11
Burnt Area: 1,702 Acres
Location: Maricopa County, AZ (15 miles northeast of Apache Junction)
Cause: Lightning
Incident Team Type: IMT Type 5
Team Leader: VanDerHoeven
Containment Status: 0% contained)
Expected Containment: 01-OCT-11
Fuels: Grass, brush. Semi-desert scrub. Extreme 7500.00 11OUTB

Missing person in that area, wonder if the may finally find him.

Are you talking about the missing Dutch Hunter from about 1.5 years ago or someone new?

the guy who left his vehicle at the trailhead and set up camp, think he was from Colorado.

Jesse Capen

http://www.azein.gov/azein/Lists/Announ ... tails.aspx
(Posted Aug. 31, 2011 at 4:45 p.m.) Fire specialists are currently managing two lightning-caused wildfires on the Globe Ranger District of the Tonto National Forest: the Frio Fire (750 acres), in the Pinal Mountain range, and the 650 Fire, which began Aug. 28 northwest of Superior in the Superstition Mountains on Montana Mountain.

The 650 Fire has moved into the Superstition wilderness area and is around 1,000 acres in size, spreading to the northeast. Smoke and flames from the 650 Fire may be visible to East Valley residents.

Personnel and equipment are assigned to these fires and fire management officials continue to be pleased with the fire behavior, direction and favorable weather conditions.

A burn-out on Madera around the electronics tower will be conducted later today on the Frio fire.

The Kellner fire in the Pinal Mountains is now contained.

Vistors and residents may see light-to-moderate smoke throughout the day, with the possibility of smoke drifting towards and settling in Globe and Miami.



Due to current weather conditions, including monsoon humidity, these lightning-caused fires can be allowed to play their natural role in the ecosystem.



Managed wildfires are monitored by fire specialists to meet resource benefits such as allowing them to burn naturally in fire-adapted ecosystems when it can been done safely, effectively and efficiently (pose no immediate risk to life, safety, property or resources).

A managed wildfire is started from a natural ignition, such as lightning. Wildfires that are human-caused cannot be classified as a managed wildfire. Managed wildfires are utilized to improve and benefit natural resources. Benefits to natural resources derived from a managed wildfire may include:

* Reduction of heavy fuel loading that diminishes the threat of catastrophic wildfire.
* Reintroduction of fire into the landscape to perform its historical role of cleaning the forest floor of dead and down vegetation, eliminating sickly trees, and generally keeping the ecosystem healthy.
* Raising the crown base height. The crown base simply means the lowest limbs on a individual tree that would allow a ground fire to climb into those limbs and transition the fire vertically up into the tree to create a crown fire.
* Recycling valuable nutrients back into the soil.
* Maintaining and improving wildlife habitat.

For further information, please call the Globe Ranger District at (928) 402-6200. Residents can also stay updated on prescribed fires at Tonto National Forest. To report a wildland fire, the fire emergency number is 866-746-6516, or dial 9-1-1.

(Source: Tonto National Forest)