Bush Fire Update, Monday, June 15, 2020
Gila County Sheriff has placed residents in Tonto Basin/Punkin Center in Go Status
Location: 22 miles NE of Mesa, AZ
Start date: Saturday, June 13, 2020
Cause: Human caused, vehicle fire
Size: 37,900 acres
Percent containment: 0%
Vegetation: Tall grass and brush
On Monday morning, June 15, 2020, the Gila County Sheriff’s Office placed Tonto Basin/Punkin Center from Highway 188 and A-Cross Road to Highway 188 at Rambo Realty in Go Status. This includes all residents on both sides of the highway, and both sides of the creek are now being asked to Go. Visit www.facebook.com/gilacohealthem/ for the latest information for residents living in these areas.
The Southwest Area Team Incident Management Team 5 assumed command of the Bush Fire from the Tonto National Forest this morning, freeing local firefighters to rest and be available for any new fire starts.
Fire activity: Last night the fire perimeter was mapped with the use of an infrared equipped aircraft, giving fire managers a more accurate fire size. The Bush fire was most active on the northeast side, moving toward Tonto Basin/Punkin Center. This growth was fueled by hot and dry weather, combined with an abundant crop of dry grass. A Bush Fire Facebook page has been set up and can be found at https://www.facebook.com/bushfireinfo The Southwestern Incident Management Team is being assisted by Tonto National Forest, Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, Maricopa and Gila County Sheriffs Offices, Arizona Department of Transportation, Maricopa County Department of Transportation, Arizona Department of Public Safety, and SRP. No structures have been damaged. Infrastructure protection for State Highway 87, powerlines, private property, and sensitive recreation and heritage resources continue to be priorities for firefighting efforts. Smoke will continue to be seen in the east Phoenix metropolitan valley, with heavy smoke impacting the Tonto Basin and Roosevelt Lake areas, along with recreation sites along the lower Salt River.
Safety: Additional firefighters are arriving to assist with fire suppression efforts. Due to increased fire activity and increased personnel near Tonto Basin/Punkin Center, please stay away from State Highway 188 to allow residents to safely leave the area. The Beeline Highway, northbound State Route 87 remains closed at the intersection of Bush Highway and the southbound lanes of SR 87 is closed before the SR 188 junction. Please avoid these areas.
Weather: Hot and dry weather is expected for the next several days with winds out of the Southwest. Tuesday may bring red flag conditions which will cause additional challenges for firefighters.
Values: Fire fighter and public safety are the highest priorities on the Bush Fire. The fire area includes multiple communities, state highways, communication sites and power lines which firefighters are working hard to protect.
Road and Area Closures: Highway 188 between SR 87 and Globe is temporarily closed to allow for the safe travel of residents out of the area. State Route 87, Beeline Highway, is closed from the junction of Bush Highway to above the SR 188 junction near Payson. Please visit https://az511.com/ for current information about highway closures.
Recreation Closures: The roads leading to Sugarloaf, Four Peaks, Lower Sycamore, The Rolls, Pobrecito, Butcher Jones, Saguaro Del Norte, and Saguaro Lake are closed at this time. Remember, wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If You Fly, We Can’t!
Bush Fire InciWeb https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/6773/51974/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/bushfireinfo