Location: Southeast of Whiteriver
Size: 16, 891 acres
Containment: 25%
Cause: Human caused, under investigation
Fire activity: On Sunday aerial ignitions were utilized to successfully burn out the largest unburned interior island west of Forest Road 25. Increased acreage reported today is a result of interior burning. Fire operations were coordinated along both the southeast and southwest flanks of the fire by strengthening constructed fire lines. Fire line repair was completed for contingency lines north of the Black River. Today tactical firing operations are planned as weather conditions permit along Forest Road 25 east of Reno Lookout toward Highway 191 and along the 309 Trail east of Anderson Flat also toward Highway 191. Over the next several days fire managers will work to tie-in these two major firing operations near Highway191. Numerous resources continue to be relocated to areas with high priority work to assist with safe and timely suppression efforts.
Safety: Motorists should be prepared for possible delays and/or a temporary road closure as firefighters conduct burnout operations along Forest Road 25 and the 309 Trail up to Highway 191. Timing of the firing operation will be dictated by safety, weather, and operational progress. ADOT personnel are in position to implement safety measures if and when the highway is affected by smoke and fire. Checkpoints will be located at Hannagan Meadow to the north and Stray Horse to the south on Highway 191.
Weather: A warming trend will bring higher daytime temps, dryer relative humidity and light winds from the west. No significant wind events are forecast for the next several days. Today smoke will drift to the east then shift and settle into Eagle Creek, Blue River and San Francisco upper Gila River valleys overnight. On Tuesday valley smoke will lift out by 9a.m., will drift to the east throughout the day then shift and settle to the south. The heaviest smoke impacts will peak from 3-5p.m. over the next few days on highway 191 between mile markers 226 north to 245, visibility could be limited to 1.5 miles.
Values: Resource advisors are deployed on the Rattlesnake Fire, and are identifying values at risk so that firefighters can employ tactics to reduce impacts to threatened and endangered species and their habitat within the fires footprint.
Closures: Closures are in place on the San Carlos Apache Reservation, White Mountain Apache Reservation and the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests. Visit the Rattlesnake Fire Inciweb page for details.
Restrictions: Today the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests entered into Stage 1 Fire Restrictions in order to reduce human-caused fires and protect public safety. San Carlos Apache Reservation implemented Stage 2 Fire Restrictions on April 17, 2018. Modified Stage 2 Fire Restrictions continue on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.
InciWeb https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5740) – BIA Fort Apache Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BIAFAAFireMgt/ – Stage 1 Fire Restrictions https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/asnf/fire/?cid=fseprd538403 – Arizona Department of Environmental Quality https://www.phoenixvis.net/PPMmain.aspx