10/6/16 – The Bureau of Indian Affairs Fort Apache Agency Fire Management in coordination with the White Mountain Apache Tribe will begin prescribed burn operations Tuesday, October 11, 2016. Approximately 11,500 acres are targeted to be treated by either pile burning or broadcast burning within several burn units on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.

The late fall prescribe burning conditions have low to moderate fire intensity which produces beneficial post-fire effects. These small prescribed fires will help reduce fuel accumulation from logging and thinning projects, decrease the risk of high intensity wildfire, and to protect communities. Broadcast burns involve applying fire across the forest floor. Flames make their way along the surface, consuming accumulated needles, leaves, branches, and logs while recycling nutrients back into the soil. Broadcast burns typically produce the most noticeable smoke.

Nearby residents should expect smoke in the vicinity and drivers should pay extra attention while traveling through or adjacent to burn areas particularly along highway 73 from Post Office Canyon to Hondah and State Route 260 east of Hondah. All Prescribed Fire activity will be carefully monitored and will comply with smoke management guidelines to reduce the impact of smoke on local residents. If conditions become unfavorable prescribed burning efforts will be ceased to mitigate smoke impacts to the communities.

Prescribed burning efforts will continue as long as weather conditions permit and targeted acres are completed. Location and timing of burns will be identified on a weekly basis. If you have any questions regarding our upcoming prescribed burning efforts, you can call Candy Lupe, Public Information Officer at (928) 338-5425.

The National Weather Service has forecast locally dense fog will continue through mid-morning. A chance of showers and thunderstorms continues today through early this evening.

9/27/16 4:06 pm
Fill Fire Update – September 27, 2016

Fire Location:
• Lakeside Ranger District
• In the 2002 Rodeo – Chediski Fire area: T10N R19E Section 22.
• East Boundary is Forest Service Road (FR) 132, North Boundary is FR 139, West Boundary is FR 9845K, and the South Boundary is FR 300.

Start Date: September 15, 2016, reported at 11:49
Cause: Lightning
Size: 2308 acres
Vegetation: Ponderosa Pine and Juniper, with areas of moderate to heavy accumulation of dead and down logs.
Resources: 3 Engines and Miscellaneous Personnel

The Fill Fire is continuing to burn southwest of Pinedale in the previous Rodeo-Chediski Fire perimeter off Forest Service Roads 132 and 300 on the Lakeside Ranger District.
With light precipitation in the area, the fire continued to burn at a low intensity. The entire fire perimeter has been “blacklined” (surrounded by fire line), and crews will continue managed ignitions in the interior as weather conditions allow. Fire crews continue to maintain safety as the number one priority as they work to reduce the heavy pockets of dense ground fuels.
There may be minor smoke impacts to residents in Pinedale and Clay Springs. Smoke may also visible from State Highway 60 and U.S. Highway 260, as well as the communities of Heber-Overgaard, Linden, Pinedale, Snowflake, Taylor, Show Low and Pinetop-Lakeside.
Information on the Fill Fire can be found on InciWeb at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5036/, the forest website http://www.fs.usda.gov/asnf or the Northeastern Arizona Public Information System https://311info.net/ or call 311 or 928-333-3412.