Acres: 20,845 acres
Jurisdiction: Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, Clifton Ranger District
Resources: 2 hotshot crews, 3 Type 2 initial attack crews, 3 Type 3 engines, 3 Type 6 engines, 8 water tenders, 1 Type 1 helicopter, 1 Type 2 helicopter, 1 Type 3 helicopter, miscellaneous overhead
Start Date: June 6, 2020
Percent Containment: 20%
Origin Location: 22 miles north of Morenci, AZ
Cause: Lightning
Personnel: 308

Tomorrow, June 23 at 6:00AM, Carl Schwope’s Type 2 Incident Management Team will transition management of the Bringham Fire to the White Mountain Zone Type 3 Incident Management Team, led by Incident Commander Matt Bullmore. The White Mountain Zone Team managed the Bringham Fire prior to the Type 2 Team’s arrival on June 13. The number of personnel assigned to the fire will continue to decrease due to successful firefighting efforts.

“On June 11, the Bringham Fire doubled in size initiating the action for the Forest to order IMT Team 4. Firefighters began working quickly to keep the fire from spreading west of Highway 191. The location of the fire was remote and providing logistical support for the firefighters was the challenge for the IMT. The Forest had clear intent on the priorities for the fire which remained consistent throughout the incident. We appreciate the support from the local community with the closure of Highway 191 and providing water supply and lodging for the firefighters working night shifts,” said Incident Commander Carl Schwope.

Yesterday, the fire was again active in the interior unburned areas near Tin Cup Corral. These interior burns produced some smoke but did not contribute significantly to fire spread. The Lolo Hotshots successfully completed their mission to construct fireline with the goal of keeping fire on the south side of Strayhorse Creek. Using established dipsites, helicopters provided support to the firefighters by dropping water on remaining hot spots. The majority of fire activity in Strayhorse Canyon remains confined to the creek bottom. Some fingers have pushed north, however scabby fuels and terrain are helping to limit fire spread. Slow continued movement down canyon to the Blue River corridor is expected as temperatures rise.

Highway 191 remains closed in both directions between Mile Marker 189 past Juan Miller Road and Mile Marker 225 at Blue Vista. This closure will remain in place through June 27, 2020 and may be extended as needed. Fire personnel are using Highway 191 to transport crews, supplies, and equipment to and from the incident. Members of the public are advised to drive with caution and leave roadways clear for emergency vehicles and equipment to pass. More information can be found at https://azdot.gov/adot-news/us-191-closed-eastern-arizona-mountains-due-bringham-fire.

Fire Information Officers are available from 8:00AM to 8:00PM to respond to questions via phone at (928) 288-2154 or email at 2020.bringham@firenet.gov. Additional fire information can be found at the following links:
• InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6747/
• Facebook (updates and daily operational videos): https://www.facebook.com/apachesitgreavesnfs/
• Temporary Closure Order: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/asnf/alerts-notices/?cid=stelprd3793918
• Southwest Region Smoke Outlook: https://wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlooks/SouthwesternRegion
• Bringham Fire Interactive Story Map: https://nifc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=014fe10eaaf44038bcf7ee1f3a1013e7

Acres: 184,531 acres (based on infrared flight)

Percent Containment: 15%

Start Date: Saturday, June 13, 2020

Cause: Human-caused
Origin Location: 22 miles NE of Mesa, AZ

Fuels: Tall grass and brush

Resources: 846 total including 11 Type 1 Crews; 8 Type 2 Crews; 46 Engines; 5 bulldozers; 21 water tenders; 9 helicopters

Expect to See Fire and Smoke as Fuels Within the Bush Fire’s Perimeter Continue to Burn; Firefighters Also Responding to the Central Fire; Online Community Meeting 6pm Tonight

Yesterday firefighters brought fire off Mount Ord and tied it in to SR 87 on the northwest side of the fire. Firefighters will be holding the area today. Firefighters will continue to patrol and protect communities as needed.

Residents along the Highway 188 corridor should expect to see fire and smoke as fuels burn within the large pocket of unburned fuel within the fire’s perimeter. Interactive Bush Fire perimeter map: https://tinyurl.com/Bush-Fire-Map

Firefighters continue to use sing a range of tactics to fully suppress the fire. They are working to protect values at risk including nearby communities, state highways, communication sites and power lines.

The incident management team has assumed command of the Central Fire. https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6792/

There will be an online community meeting tonight on the Bush and Central Fires at 6 pm on Fb.com/bushfireinfo. An American Sign Language interpreter and captioning will be provided. A recording will be posted following the meeting.
No account is required to view the video. If a pop-up box appears when you first navigate to the link, you can use the scroll bar on the right to scroll down to the view and/or click “not now” to minimize the login pop-up. We will monitor online Facebook questions during the meeting or you can e-mail us your questions at 2020.bush@firenet.gov.

Sunflower and residents and visitors to Apache Lake remain under “Go” evacuation notice. The communities of Tonto Basin, Punkin Center, Pioneer Pass, Brownsville, Slate Creek, and Jake’s Creek have returned to “Set” mode. Gisela, Rye,
Deer Creek, 76 Ranch and Bar T Bar Ranch (BT Ranch) remain in “Set” status. Evacuation and shelter info map: https://tinyurl.com/bushfirepublicinfo. Visit Maricopa County https://ready.maricopa.gov/ and Gila County: www.readygila.com/ for more information.

Smoke Outlook: https://fires.airfire.org/outlooks/CentralArizona

Visit https://az511.com/ or call 511 for current road closure information. State Route 87 is closed from Payson (milepost 251) to Bush Highway (milepost 199). State Route 188 is closed between SR 87 (milepost 276) and Roosevelt Lake at milepost 243. In addition, State Route 88 is closed between Apache Lake (milepost 229) to State Route 188 (milepost 242). The long-term SR 88 closure from east of Tortilla Flat to Apache Lake also remains in effect.

The Tonto National Forest has an area closure surrounding the Bush Fire. Fire restrictions remain in place. Details are available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/tonto/alerts-notices.

Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Every time a drone is spotted near the fire all aircraft are grounded until we can be sure the drone is clear of this area. More info visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.

Fire Information: 928-351-7596 (public) 928-351-7723 (media)
Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6773/ Facebook: Fb.com/bushfireinfo
Email: 2020.bush@firenet.gov Twitter: twitter.com/TontoForest
Inciweb.nwcg.gov