Daily Update– July 30, 2023
Community Meeting Tonight, Sunday, July 30, 2023, at 7pm
Cottonwood Ridge, Snake Ridge and Spoon Fires
Cottonwood Ridge Fire Quick Facts Acres: 345
Cause: Lightning
Containment: 45%
Start Date: July 23, 2023
Location: 4 miles south of Show Low, AZ
Fuels: Timber, grass, brush
Spoon Fire Quick Facts Acres: 4,531 acres
Cause: Lightning
Containment: 0%
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,
Snake Ridge Fire Quick Facts
Acres: 42 acres
Cause: Lightning
Containment: 0% Start
Date: July 28, 2023
Location: 11 miles southwest of Show Low, AZ.
Fuels: Grass, Brush
Total personnel for all incidents: 342
The Southwest Area Incident Management Team 5 will host a Community Meeting tonight, Sunday, July 30, 2023, at 7 p.m. MST. It will be held at the Show Low Public Library Council Chamber at 181 N. 9th St, Show Low, AZ 85901. The meeting will also be Live streamed to the BIA Forestry & Wildland Fire Management- Fort Apache Agency Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/BIAFAAFireMgt. You do not need a Facebook account to view the video. There will be a question-and-answer portion at the end of the meeting.
Spoon Fire Update: Saturday, the fire behavior was minimal due to light cloud cover and light winds. Activity picked up in the afternoon on the southeast corner. Fire growth occurred on the east and south sides of the fire. Crews continue working to construct fire line along the western edge of the fire to protect Highway 60. Air resources and crews worked until around 3 p.m. when they were pulled from the line for safety reasons due to weather. Today, crews will continue building fire line if weather conditions allow.
Cottonwood Ridge Fire Update: Crews continued to construct line on the north and eastern edges of the fire Saturday bringing containment up to 45%. Crews were forced off the fire line around 1 p.m. due to thunderstorms and lightning in the area. Some interior pockets of vegetation, mostly in drainages, will continue to put up smoke for the next few days. Sunday, crews will continue to improve fire line and mop up hotspots working their way around the northern edge of the fire to prevent any chance of the Cottonwood Ridge Fire moving toward the communities of Linden and Show Low.
Snake Ridge Fire Update: Crews were successful in preventing the Snake Ridge Fire from increasing in size on Saturday. On Sunday crews will continue to secure and improve fire lines around the fire perimeter. Crews will continue to secure fire line and mop up hotspots.
Mustang Fire Update: The Mustang Fire has minimal to no heat and will continue to be monitored by air resources.
Weather: Sunday, thunderstorms and light precipitation are expected to develop in the afternoon. Conditions may force air resources and crews off the line. Temperatures are expected to be in the high 80s for Cottonwood Ridge and Snake Ridge fires and may reach mid 90s for Spoon Fire. Cloud cover and higher humidity in the afternoon may help keep fire activity minimal, but outflow winds could push the fires and cause increased fire and smoke activity.
Evacuations: None.
Residents and visitors should take time to become familiar with the Ready, Set, Go evacuation model. These steps help you to be READY in the event of an emergency by preparing now. Additionally, sign up for the Navajo County Alert System at https://tinyurl.com/y4vwrasw.
Smoke: The Spoon and Snake Ridge fires may continue to put up smoke as interior pockets of vegetation continue to burn. Please use caution when traveling along smoky roadways. For information on smoke and air quality visit https://www.airnow.gov.
Closures: Highway 60 remains open. The southwest portion of Fort Apache is closed, including all Salt River sites within the closure area.
Fire Restrictions: There are several fire restrictions in place depending on location. Fort Apache Agency: Stage 2 Fire Restrictions. No campfire, fireworks, outdoor smoking, debris burning or discharging of firearms. Power saws cannot be used between 10 am and 8 pm. All motorized travel is restricted to developed roads.
Show Low, Navajo County and Apache Sitgreaves National Forests: Stage 1 Fire Restrictions No campfires (except in developed recreation sites), no smoking outdoors, no welding, no fireworks.
For more Information: Inciweb: Cottonwood Ridge: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/inci…/azfta-cottonwood-ridge-fire Spoon: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident…/azfta-spoon-fire Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BIAFAAFireMgt/
Public Information Line: 928-421-4579 Phone Line Hours: 8 am – 8 pm Email: 2023.CottonwoodRidge@firenet.gov
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