The Canyon fire originated approximately 15 miles north/northeast of Blue Ridge Reservoir in the Jacks Canyon area near Highway 87 in Coconino National Forest. This fire started on June 29th and was lighting caused. Fire crews stated the fire has grown fivefold from about a 1,000 acres on Saturday to about 5,000 acres on Sunday. Current resources assigned: Four crews, five engines, two water tenders, one air attack aircraft, two helicopters, two heavy air tankers, one heli-tanker and approximately 130 personnel. Highway 87 is closed and motorist traveling to or from Winslow must find an alternate route. Closure is expected to continue until about noon tomorrow.

YOUNG, Az. – With smoke subsiding from the Poco Fire in Arizona’s Pleasant Valley and the Mogollon Rim communities, the Central West Zone Interagency Type 3 Incident Management Team turns fire management back to the Tonto National Forest at 9:00 a.m. Friday, June 29, 2012.

On Thursday, the Type 3 team maintained 90 fire personnel, mostly assigned to patrolling the fire’s perimeter and chipping downed trees to remove fuel from the fire zone. “We want to thank our firefighters and the communities we’re working to protect. We encourage the public to practice fire safety because the trees and shrubs are very dry and we remain in extreme fire danger,” says Andy Mandell, the incident commander trainee.

Mandell points out that two Type 1 firefighting crews and two engines will stay at the Pleasant Valley Ranger District along with miscellaneous fire personnel during the transition and due to the extreme fire danger.

As recreation increases in the area over the 4th of July, visitors and residents are warned to stay out of the Poco Fire zone as smoldering continues. Trees could fall and hotspots remain. For continued information, the public may contact the Pleasant Valley Ranger District in Young, Arizona, at: 928-462-4300

YOUNG, Az. – Fire officials got an aerial view today of the 11,950 Poco Fire northeast of Young, Arizona, and increased its containment to 80 percent.

“Smoke has dissipated from the town of Young, Payson, and the Mogollon Rim communities. We are still seeing smoldering in the center of the deep canyons within the Tonto National Forest,” says Incident Commander Trainee Andy Mandell, Central West Zone Interagency Type 3 Team.

All around the perimeter, the Fort Apache Interagency Hot Shot crew and Prescott National Forest Hot Shots gathered downed trees and limbs, feeding them into chippers to remove fuel. Much of this work takes place adjacent to Forest Road 512 (Young Road) which reopened today. “We are seeing residents traveling the road again and ranchers working cattle, so we’re asking our firefighters and the public to drive with considerable caution,” Mandell emphasizes. Water tenders and an air craft were released from the fire today; the Central West Zone Interagency Type 3 Team resources remaining on the fire consist of three engines and two hot shot crews, for a total of 100 personnel.