Incident Start Date: 6/29/2019

    Cause: Lightning/ Natural

  Size: 2168 acres

Containment: 40%

Incident Type: Wildfire

Vegetation Type: Timber & Short Grass

Suppression Strategy: Point/Zone Protection,

Resources Assigned: 2 Engines.

Total Personnel: 6

Current Situation: On June 30, 2019, Fire managers received a report of smoke in the vicinity of Campbell Blue drainage west of Blue River Ranch. Due to the overabundance of snags from the 2011 Wallow Fire, as well as steep slopes, this naturally occurring low intensity fire is currently being monitored by both onsite crews as well as air resources. This lightening caused fire will be used to reintroduce fire into the ecosystem, restore natural fire regimes, and remove excess fuels.

Today’s Plan: Due to the hot and dry conditions, the Blue River fire increased in activity on the west flank. Due to this increased activity, crews had to burnout along the Campbell Blue Creek and the Luce Ranch. The burnout was successful. Today the engine crews will patrol and monitor the fireline they burned out yesterday.

Smoky Conditions Remain in the Area: Smoke from the Blue River Fire may be visible from the Blue River road going south of Alpine. Light smoke may continue to impact Campbell Blue and the Blue community.

Visitor Information: If you are sensitive to smoke, visit Arizona Department of Health Services website at http://www.azdhs.gov/preparedness/epidemiology-disease-control/extreme-weather/index.php#wildfires-home  for additional information regarding the dangers of wildfire and prescribed burn smoke and wildfire preparedness.

Closures and Restrictions:   None

Road and Trail Closures:  None

Fire restrictions: The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest is not currently in fire restrictions. Visitors are reminded to be very careful with fire. Never leave a fire unattended – even for a short time.

Additional Information on wildfire and wildfire safety can be found at:

o   Northeastern Arizona Public Information System: https://311info.net/ or call 311 or 928.333.3412

o   Arizona Fire Restrictions: http://firerestrictions.us/az/

o   Fire Restrictions and Red Flag Alerts: http://wildlandfire.az.gov/

o   Wildfires Near Me: http://www.wildfiresnearme.wfmrda.com/

o   Fire Information: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6413/

We want to encourage everyone to have a fun and safe 4th of July holiday. As a reminder, please know that fireworks are NEVER okay on federal lands. Check out these tips so you can have a safe Independence Day.

Prescribed Burn to start June 5, 2019 within Section 20 Tank Unit

Lakeside, AZ, June 3, 2019 — The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest’s Lakeside Ranger District will be conducting a prescribed burn within the Section 20 Tank Unit. This area is part of the Los Burros broadcast burn area, south of Vernon and will start June 5, 2019 and continue through June 12, 2019, weather dependent.

This 1,400 acre unit is about four miles south of Vernon, along Apache County Road 3140. The burn is surrounded by Forest Service Road (FSR) 8, Apache County Road 3140, FSR 6, FSR 6E, FSR 6D and FSR 96. The legal description is: T9N, R25E Sections 15, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 29.

Ignition may last several days with daily smoke impact anticipated within area drainages. Smoke will be visible in the local area, from Arizona State Highway 260, and U.S. Highway 60, in Round Valley, Vernon and Show Low. In the interest of safety, forest visitors are reminded to obey all traffic signs and use caution when traveling in the vicinity of prescribed burn units as firefighters and fire-related traffic may be in the area. Visitors are reminded to use caution when traveling in the vicinity of prescribed burns as smoke may reduce visibility in the area.

Prescribed burning provides many benefits and is essential to maintaining healthy forest ecosystems. This area has received some forest thinning within the past three to eight years. This burn continues the needed restoration efforts. It provides habitat diversity, recycles plant nutrients into the soil and encourages new growth for a variety of plants used by wildlife and livestock. Prescribed burning of forest ground fuels also reduces the threat of large scale wildfire impacts. This prescribed burn is in cooperation with Arizona Game and Fish and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

This will provide protection for the community of Vernon from wildfires that start southeast of town.

Crews will be on scene from ignition until there is no longer a threat of escape from project boundaries.

 For questions or concerns please contact the Lakeside Ranger District at (928) 368-2100, or dial 311 to reach the Northeastern Arizona Public Information System.  Also, check out our website at www.fs.usda.gov/asnf or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/apachesitgreavesnfs/ .