Wildfire season heats up
Updates on Woodbury, White Wing, Mountain and Maroon wildfires
Wildfire season is heating up with 10 active fires across the state, four of which are prescribed burns, according to the Incident Information system.
Wildfire season is heating up in Arizona with 10 active fires across the state, four of which are prescribed burns, according to the Incident Information system, or InciWeb.
After four days, the Woodbury Fire in the Tonto National Forest is still 0% contained and is at 5,000 acres. This is just the beginning of fire season in the state.
If you compare this season so far to previous years, Arizona is experiencing fewer wildfires. As of June 3, Arizona has seen 524 wildfires that burned more than 10,610 acres. On the same day last year, the state had 784 wildfires that burned more than 69,000 acres.
The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management said lack of moisture and severe drought conditions in 2018 contributed to fires. This year, dry brush and high winds are the root of the quick-spreading fires.
Many of 2019’s fires were caused by lightning striking the dry brush such as the Coldwater Fire, Hoyley Fire and the Maroon Fire. The Woodbury and Mountain fires were human-caused.
Here’s a rundown of some of the bigger fires:
Woodbury Fire
The Woodbury Fire northwest of Superior, Arizona, has burned 5,000 acres of the Tonto National Forest and is currently 0% contained; however, there have been no evacuations in the area, said Dolores Garcia, public information officer.
The fire is posing a challenge to firefighters because of shifting wind patterns, according to InciWeb.
As of Tuesday morning, the Central West Zone Type 3 Team will be taking over command of the fire, according to the national forest.
The fire is in the Superstition Wilderness which is steep and rugged, the fire is burning in an area with thick brush, according to officials. Suppression tactics have become a safety concern for firefighters especially with the predic
ted excessive heat warnings.
Officials are asking the public to avoid the general area of the following locations:
❚ Hewitt Station Road (FR 357)
❚ Happy Camp Canyon (FR 650)
❚ Hewitt Canyon Road (FR 172)
❚ Woodbury (TR 114)
❚ Roger’s Canyon (TR 109)
❚ Coffee Flat trails (TR 108)
Coldwater Fire
The Coldwater Fire in the Coconino National Forest continues to grow as it burns over 9,600 acres and is only at 15% containment as of Tuesday, officials said.
The Coldwater Fire began May 30 from a lightning strike. Payson and Pine could start facing more smoke as the fire moves closer to the Mogollon Rim, according to Inciweb.
Heavy smoke and fog on the State Route 87 is expected and motorists are encouraged to prepare for dense smoke with low visibility between mileposts 283 and 293. If winds push the smoke northeast, areas along the Interstate 40, including Winslow and Holbrook, could be impacted.
If the fog continues to develop, visibility could drop to 0 feet.
There is also a temporary flight restriction over the fire area and any aircraft, including drones, will be grounded immediately, officials said.
White Wing Fire
The White Wing fire near Whittmann that burned over 2,700 acres in eight days was officially 100% contained on June 6, according to the Arizona State Forestry.
About 100 firefighters worked to battle the flames 35 miles northwest of central Phoenix, said Tiffany Davila, spokeswoman for the Department of Forestry and Fire Management.
The White Wing fire began as a brush fire on May 30 and was able to spread quickly through other dry brush and grasses in the area. Firefighters secured the blaze from the east side to keep it from reaching power lines and with the help of cooler weather, they were able to decrease fire activity, Davila said.
Wittmann will be holding a community meeting on Wednesday, June 12, to discuss the high fire activity and relieve residents’ concerns.
Mountain Fire
The Mountain Fire is eight miles east of Cave Creek in the Tonto National Forest. Since the fire started Friday, it has burned 7,470 acres and is 53% contained.
The fire closed Bartlett Dam Road at the intersection with Cave Creek Road and continued throughout the weekend. The Bartlett Dam Road and the all-day use areas and campgrounds near both lakes reopened Monday.
Officials are asking drivers to not stop along the road or walk around in the burning areas.
Maroon Fire
The Maroon Fire burning 18 miles northeast of Flagstaff was considered largely contained, according to Coconino National Forest officials. The fire, which was caused by lightning, had burned more than 8,600 acres in the region.
Fire crews will be reduced over next few days but some will remain to assure full containment, officials said.