October 5, 2023
Whiteriver, AZ – The Bureau of Indian Affairs Fort Apache Agency Fire Management in coordination with the White Mountain Apache Tribe are planning to conduct prescribed burning within the Hop-Cot and Coyote West burn units on Tuesday, October 10, 2023. If conditions are favorable, active ignitions will continue for several days.

The Hop-Cot burn unit is located approximately 8 miles southwest of Show Low, Arizona and just west of Forestdale. The burn unit is 5,451 acres and active ignition will take several days.
The Coyote West burn unit is located approximately 7 miles southwest of Hondah, Arizona. The burn unit is 1,499 acres and active ignition will take several days.

Prescribed fire is an important tool to reduce unnatural vegetation fuel loading and restore natural fire regimes, which helps communities live more safely with fire. The late fall prescribed burning conditions are designed to have low to moderate fire intensity which produces beneficial post-fire effects.

Prescribed burning activity is dependent upon the availability of fire personnel, weather conditions, fuel moisture levels and smoke management. Fire personnel are scouting other potential burn units in the upcoming weeks to identify which areas they will begin treatment.

Nearby residents should expect smoke in the vicinity. Drivers should pay extra attention while traveling through Highway 60 and Highway 73. Officials expect smoke to dissipate quickly during burn days, but some smoke could linger in valley bottoms and drainages for short durations.

If you have any questions regarding our upcoming prescribed burning efforts, you can call Candy Lupe, Public Information Officer at (928) 338-5425 or you can log onto BIA Fort Apache Fort Apache Agency’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/BIAFAAFireMgt.

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October 5, 2023
Whiteriver, AZ – The Bureau of Indian Affairs Fort Apache Agency Fire Management in coordination with the White Mountain Apache Tribe are planning to conduct prescribed burning within the Hop-Cot and Coyote West burn units on Tuesday, October 10, 2023. If conditions are favorable, active ignitions will continue for several days.

The Hop-Cot burn unit is located approximately 8 miles southwest of Show Low, Arizona and just west of Forestdale. The burn unit is 5,451 acres and active ignition will take several days.
The Coyote West burn unit is located approximately 7 miles southwest of Hondah, Arizona. The burn unit is 1,499 acres and active ignition will take several days.

Prescribed fire is an important tool to reduce unnatural vegetation fuel loading and restore natural fire regimes, which helps communities live more safely with fire. The late fall prescribed burning conditions are designed to have low to moderate fire intensity which produces beneficial post-fire effects.

Prescribed burning activity is dependent upon the availability of fire personnel, weather conditions, fuel moisture levels and smoke management. Fire personnel are scouting other potential burn units in the upcoming weeks to identify which areas they will begin treatment.

Nearby residents should expect smoke in the vicinity. Drivers should pay extra attention while traveling through Highway 60 and Highway 73. Officials expect smoke to dissipate quickly during burn days, but some smoke could linger in valley bottoms and drainages for short durations.

If you have any questions regarding our upcoming prescribed burning efforts, you can call Candy Lupe, Public Information Officer at (928) 338-5425 or you can log onto BIA Fort Apache Fort Apache Agency’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/BIAFAAFireMgt.

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Cottonwood Ridge Fire Quick Facts
Acres: 345
Cause: Lightning
Containment: 65%
Start Date: July 23, 2023
Location: 4 miles south of Show Low, AZ
Fuels: Timber, grass, brush

Spoon Fire Quick Facts
Acres: 4,560 acres
Cause: Lightning
Containment: 35%
Start Date: July 24, 2023
Location: 2.5 miles east of Highway 60 between Globe and Show Low, AZ. 11 miles southwest of Cedar Creek
Fuels: Piñyon- Juniper, Manzanita, Grass, Cedar

Snake Ridge Fire Quick Facts
Acres: 42 acres
Cause: Lightning
Containment: 79%
Start Date: July 28, 2023
Location: 11 miles southwest of Show Low, AZ.
Fuels: Grass, Brush

Total personnel for all incidents: 428

Despite the hot, dry, and breezy weather Wednesday, crews made steady progress on all fires. Many heat sources within the fire perimeters are slowly burning out, allowing firefighters to mop up and make good progress on containment efforts.

New fires identified yesterday were caught quickly due to rapid initial attack response from firefighters. Two new fires were stopped at one acre. Crews were able to confirm that another new fire has no remaining heat sources. One fire had firefighters rappel out of a helicopter to contain the fire and ensure no heat sources remained near containment lines. Two additional fires have two crews and engines providing fire response efforts.

Crews will begin repairing damage caused by building containment lines, including water barring areas where the fire is cold to the touch. They will also continue to construct handlines and dozer lines along the fire’s edge.

Cottonwood Ridge Fire Update: Crews are patrolling the fire perimeter for hotspots, finding few heat sources along established containment lines. Their diligent efforts provided a 15% increase to the fire’s containment, amounting to a total of 65% containment.