Official update *****6/19/16 at 2:48 pm*******
Fire activity has increased along the southern edge of the fire as predicted, specifically along the southeast and southwest flanks.
The fire remains north of Long Tom Canyon and west of Cedar Creek.
Meteorologists are predicting a shift in winds around 8pm from the current north/northwest direction back to the southern direction that we have seen throughout the past few days. This will potentially slow fire growth as the winds turn the fire back to areas that have already been burned
The fire is advancing south toward the Gila County line and the Carrizo and Cedar Creek communities, however, there are NO pre-evacuation notices for those communities at this time. Incident Management teams will continue to work with the White Mountain Apache Tribe to determine the best course of action.
The fire is also actively burning south along Hwy 60. Firefighters, in coordination with Navopache Electric, are looking for opportunities to conduct burnout operations along the highway. When they are able to conduct these operations, the electric cooperative may need to turn off the power line for a short time to provide for the safest possible environment for firefighters.
The Incident management team has ordered additional resources to assist in the continued firefighting efforts including 6 additional fire crews and additional aircraft
Sounds like portions of Route 60 will remain closed for several more days…please confirm…thanks.
Portions of US 60 will remain closed for several more days
Am I correct in assuming that Show Low, Lakeside-Pinetop , McNary are still under pre-evacuation notice?
You would be correct.
Where can I find a map of the fire?
Maps can be found on inciweb.nwcg.gov
Can I still get to Pinetop by going to hwy 73 from hwy 60?
When the winds shift back to be coming from the south, are the northern and northeastern boundaries of the fire area expected to continue to contain the fire area?
That would be the hope, that the winds blow it back into the burned area.