Residents return to Strawberry, Hunt Ranch after evacuations
Dry thunderstorms that moved across Arizona during this week added to the fires burning in the state. So far in 2021, there have been 1,106 fires that have burned 453,628 acres in Arizona. By June of 2020, there were 1,014 fires burning 369,667 acres.
The increase in fires burning 83,961 more acres this year has been more spread out across the state compared with last year because of the drought, high temperatures and carryover of unburned fuels, according to the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management spokesperson Tiffany Davila.
However, this does not mean Arizona will see the same record-breaking totals that it saw in 2020: 2,520 fires burning 978,519 acres.
As of 8 a.m. Friday, a statewide closure was issued for all recreational use in state-owned and managed lands, according to the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management. U.S. Forest Service officials this week also announced closures for national forests in Arizona.
Backbone Fire
Location: Adjacent to the Pine and Strawberry communities, about 75 miles southeast of Flagstaff in northcentral Arizona.
Evacuations and closures: On Sunday, residents of Strawberry and Hunt Ranch were allowed to return to their homes, as the area moved back into a “SET” stage, according to the Gila County Sheriff’s Office.
The communities of Pine, Strawberry and Hunt Ranch on “SET” stage would need to remain prepared to move in case the fire changes behavior, the sheriff ’s office said.
A “Ready” status for Verde Lakes and Beasley Flats was relaxed on Saturday evening by the Yavapai County Sheriff ’s Office.
State Route 260 is closed between Camp Verde and State Route 87. State Route 87 is closed north of Strawberry, at mile post 271, and Clints Well, at mile post 290, according to the Arizona Department
of Transportation.
What we know:The fire began to grow in the area near the fire’s edge, feeding on brush and vegetation that had dried out after the past week’s rains.
Monday started with a trend toward cooler and wetter conditions, which officials said will moderate fire behavior and help suppression efforts.
Acreage: 40,826 acres. Containment: 43%.
Rafael Fire
Location: North of Perkinsville in north-central Arizona, the Rafael Fire includes the Prescott, Kaibab and Coconino National Forests and spans the Yavapai/Coconino County line, according to InciWeb.
Evacuations and closures: On Saturday, the Coconino County Sheriff ’s Office announced that residents of the
South Garland neighborhood could return home after having been ordered to evacuate on June 24.
A “Go” order remained in effect for those around Sycamore Canyon, according to the Rafael Fire information Page.
In Yavapai County, Loy Ranch was also in “Go” status as of Monday morning.
In Coconino County, Garland Prairie North and South were placed on “Set” as of Friday morning.
Yavapai County areas labeled “Set” as of Monday morning included Grey Ranch, Windmill Ranch and Bear Mountain.
All areas south of I-40 and west of I-17 in Coconino County were on “Ready” status as of Monday morning, including Westwood Estates, Flagstaff Ranch, Pine Del, Forest Highlands, Kachina Village, University Heights, West Fork, upper and lower Oak Creek Canyon,
Mountain Dell and Equestrian Estates.
South of Williams, Sherwood Forest and Camp Navajo were also in “Ready” status on Monday.
In Yavapai County, areas north of State Route 89-A in west Sedona were also labeled “Ready.”
A shelter was opened Thursday at 2 p.m. at Sinagua Middle School, at 3950 E. Butler Ave. in Flagstaff.
What we know: The fire was discovered on June 18 and was the result of thunderstorms, according to InciWeb.
On Monday, officials said crews will conduct patrol and mop up activities to secure the fire on its north side. All perimeter firing operations are substantially complete, but smoke from burning interior fuels is expected to continue for the next few days, according to a statement from the fire incident manage
ment team.
The emergency management team also set up a call center for residents and other civilians to call with questions: 928-679-8647, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
A virtual community meeting will be held at 6 p.m. daily until further notice on the Rafael Fire information Facebook page for information on evacuations and fire activity.
Acreage: 76,102 acres. Containment: 48%.
Pinnacle Fire
Location: About 38 miles west of Safford in Graham County, southeastern Arizona.
Evacuations and closures: There are no remaining evacuations in effect for the Pinnacle Fire as of Friday morning, according to InciWeb.
What we know: Fire lines continued to be built on Friday to protect areas impacted by the fire. Little smoke was encountered when crews mopped up and conducted suppression repair on Thursday, according to the Pinnacle Fire info Facebook page.
The Safford Field Office plans to rescind closures of the Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness and North Santa Teresa Wilderness on Sunday, June 27, at 7 a.m.
Acreage: 34,417 acres. Containment: 60%.
Telegraph Fire
Location: South of Globe, about 88 miles east of Phoenix in central Arizona, in Tonto National Forest.
Evacuations and closures: As of 8 a.m. Friday, “Ready” orders were issued for Superior, Globe, Miami, Claypool, Central Heights, Pinto/Carlotta, Skill Center, Fairgrounds, Schulze Ranch, Ray Mine, Top-of-the-World, Bellevue, Oak Flat, Beverly Hills, Riverside, Kearny, Winkelman, Hayden, Battle Axe area, Dripping Springs, Wind Spirit, Hagen Ranch, Slash S Ranch, Government Springs, El Capitan East and West, Six Shooter and Ice House Canyons, according to the Telegraph Fire information page.
What we know: As of Friday, crews have made significant progress with suppression repair efforts and the rehabilitation of fire lines along the U.S. 60 corridor and El Capitan, according to the Telegraph Fire information page.
The fire continues to smolder in Ice House Canyon and along Dripping Springs Road.
Acreage: 180,755 acres. Containment: 91%.
Walnut Fire
Location: Seven miles northwest of Dragoon in southeast Arizona, near Mae West Peak in the Texas Canyon area, according to InciWeb.
Evacuations and closures: “Go” orders were lifted for the Dragoon area, allowing residents to return home at “Ready” status, according to a tweet from the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management.
An American Red Cross Shelter was established inside the Benson High School gym, at 360 S. Patagonia St. in Benson. The gym can be accessed off South Central Avenue, one block west of Patagonia Street, according to InciWeb.
A shelter for large and small animals is available at J7 Equestrian Center, 3606 W. Williams Road.
What we know:
The fire will continue to move and grow on the north end unless the area gets large amounts of rain, according to InciWeb.
Crews are waiting for the north end of the fire to come downhill and into flatlands where they can safely access it. Smoke from the fire will be visible from the I-10, Willcox and Benson for the next couple of days, according to the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management Facebook page.
Acreage: 10,262 acres. Containment: 56%.
Wyrick-West Chev Fire
Location: Northwest of Heber, the fire is located on the Black Mesa Ranger
District of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests in northeastern Arizona.
Evacuations and closures: Communities that were asked to evacuate were allowed to return to their homes at 6 a.m. on Thursday.
“Set” orders have been issued for Antelope Valley, Despain Ranch, Heberand Overgaard, Chevelon Retreat, communities south and east of State Route 277, High Country Pines in Heber and Kendall Ranch/Camp Ponderosa, according to InciWeb.
“Ready” orders have been issued for Chevelon Ranches.
Evacuation shelters for the Wyrick Fire were set up at Holbrook High School, located at 455 N. Eighth Ave., according to the Wyrick-West Chev Fire Information. Livestock or pets can be sheltered at the Navajo County Fairgrounds.
What we know: On Monday, Navajo County issued a state of emergency, according to its Facebook page.
The fire, which began Saturday, has exhibited extreme fire behavior and was burning through timber and grass, according to InciWeb. It is believed the fire was caused by lightning.
Acreage: 7,592 acres.
Containment: 42% containment.
Slate Fire
Location: 23 miles northwest of Flagstaff in northern Arizona.
Evacuations and closures: No evacuations or closures at this time.
What we know: There have been no structures or communities threatened since the fire began on June 7.
Acreage: 11,435 acres.
Containment: 90%.
Bear Fire
Location: South of Hannagan Meadow, about 280 miles east of Phoenix in central Arizona.
Evacuations and closures: As of Sunday, U.S. Route 191 remains closed between mile marker 176 on the south to mile marker 224.8 on the north, according to a tweeted update from the Arizona Department of Transportation.
The closure will remain in effect until further notice.
Coconino National Forest was closed for public safety purposes on June 23. The closure will not be rescinded until sufficient precipitation is received to adequately reduce the risk of wildfire, according to forest officials.
What we know: The Bear Fire, which began on June 16, was caused by lightning, according to InciWeb.
Crews continued to work on land close to the Clifton Ranger District, because the fire spread between Alpine and Clifton, according to InciWeb.
Fire crews are conducting point protection on Highway 191 for remote cabins and residential structures.
Acreage: 21,700 acres. Containment: 0%.
Water Springs Fire
Location: The fire burns in the Grand Wash Cliffs, east of Meadview and west of Grand Canyon West.
Evacuations and closures: As of Saturday afternoon, no evacuation orders had been given.
What we know: The fire was sparked by lightning and began burning on June 24 on the Grand Wash Falls Cliff, according to information provided by the fire’s information page on InciWeb.
Acreage: 550 acres.
Containment: 0%.
Horton Complex Fires
Location: The Horton Complex consists of four fires burning in the ApacheSitgreaves National Forests, 5 miles northeast of Hannagan Meadow. The fires are burning within the Wallow Fire scar.
Evacuations: A “GO” evacuation order was placed for Hannagan Meadow.
What we know: The four fires moved into one and began to move on its south end on Friday after warm and dry weather moved into the area.
Acreage: 11,399 acres.
Containment: 12%.
Republic reporters Chelsea Curtis, Olivia Munson and Michael Donohue contributed to this article.