July 27, 2023
12:10 p.m.

As fire suppression activities continue on the Cottonwood Ridge Fire, we want to ensure the safety of the community and all the firefighters on the ground and in the air fighting the various fires in our area. As fire crews are in the air, we want to emphasize that there is a no-fly zone around the Cottonwood Ridge Fire, including drones. If there are unauthorized flights in the area, air attack on the fire may be immediately shut down.

To ensure the safety of the ground personnel as well as that of the public, the Rim Road (300 Road) will be shut down at Highway 60, Rim Road at Juniper Ridge, and 1.5 miles south of Highway 260 on Joe Tank Road again today.

The Show Low and surrounding area is in Ready status.

The Ready, Set, Go program has been established to ensure the safety of the public for evacuation processes for all hazards that occur in the community. This is a reminder that every household should be in Ready status at all times. For more information please visit https://ein.az.gov/ready-set-go

Again, we highly encourage our community members, both part-time and full-time as well as those visiting the area, to subscribe to the Ready Navajo County alerting system at https://member.everbridge.net/453003085612436/login

We extend our appreciation to the BIA-Fort Apache agency and all other fire suppression entities, law enforcement and volunteers for the work they have done to protect our communities.

Cottonwood Ridge Wildfire UpdateJuly 26, 2023

Quick FactsSize: 411 acres

Containment: 0%

Road Closures: None

Total Personnel: 52

Jurisdiction: Fort Apache Agency

Reservation: Fort Apache Indian Reservation

Start Date: July 23, 2023

Fire Cause: Lightning

Operational Update: Yesterday, there was a 10-acre slop over along Cottonwood Canyon on the east flank of the fire. Firefighters lined and secured the slop over. The retardant lines are holding the west and north flank of the fire. This morning, fire mangers flew the fire and observed that the fire was active in the northwest flank. Firefighters will work today to secure the fire and continue line construction where necessary. Air resources will continue to support the fire. A Type 2 Incident Management Team is on order to assume command of the Cottonwood Ridge, Spoon and Mustang Ridge fires on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation at 0600 a.m. on Thursday, July 27, 2023.

Management Objective: Reduce fire size using aircraft, giving firefighters time to assess the fire landscape. Firefighters are working on full suppression tactics for this fire.

Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the priority. Members of the public should avoid the fire area.

Values at risk: Potential communities at risk include Linden to the north of the Cottonwood Ridge Fire, but it’s NOT an immediate threat at this time. Citizens should always be “Ready” for any emergency by having a kit, being on the Ready Navajo County Alert System (sign up here: https://member.everbridge.net/453003085612436/login) and watch Fort Apache Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/BIAFAAFireMgt for accurate information. Should the need arise to go into “SET”, an alert will be sent, as well as posts added to our social media and on www.311info.net. Highway 60 may be impacted and is located east of the fire.

Smoke: Go to https://fire.airnow.gov/ to see the latest smoke conditions in your community. Smoke may be visible from the surrounding communities and along Highway 60.Primary and Cooperating Agencies: Bureau of Indian Affairs, White Mountain Apache Tribe, Navajo County, and US Forest Service.

This morning City and County Officials met to continue strategic planning and communication pertaining to the Cottonwood Ridge Fire burning near Show Low. As the BIA-Fort Apache agency shares an update, we will provide the information.

To ensure the safety of the air crews fighting the fire there is a no-fly zone around the area, including drones. If there are unauthorized flights in the area, air attack on the fire will be immediately shut down thus creating unnecessary risk to the community.

For the safety of the public and fire personnel who are actively building a buffer zone, law enforcement has established a road closure on the Rim Road (FS300) at Hwy 60, Rim Rd at Juniper Ridge and 1.5 miles south of Hwy 260 on Joe Tank Rd.

The Ready, Set, Go program has been established to ensure the public safety in evacuations for all hazards, including wildfire. This is a reminder that every household should be in READY status at all times. For more information visit https://ein.az.gov/ready-set-go

We highly encourage our community members, both part-time and full-time, to subscribe to the Ready Navajo County alerting system at https://member.everbridge.net/453003085612436/login

We ask that our community members utilize only vetted sources of information on this incident and any future emergencies. Information and updates can be found at the Navajo County Emergency Management and Preparedness Facebook page and 311info.net.

We again thank the BIA-Fort Apache agency and any other tribal suppression resources for their continued effort in fighting this fire. We also thank the U.S. Forest Service and AZ Department of Forestry and Fire Management for their continued support. We continue to extend gratitude to our community leaders for their proactive and assertive approach in ensuring our communities safety.

Lastly, thank you to the citizens of Navajo County for your continued support of our public safety members and officials.