The monsoons have arrived, and the Cedar Fire received rainfall on Sunday. The fire was 75% contained by this (Monday) morning. More rain is expected today and demobilization of forces is proceeding rapidly. While 554 firefighters are working on the fire this morning, only the Team itself will remain by Tuesday afternoon. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) will assume command of the fire at 6 A.M. Tuesday.

Southwest Incident Management Team #2 (SWIMT2) extends our heartfelt appreciation to the White Mountain Apache Tribe, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the communities around the fire, and to our cooperators for the excellent working relationships, the support and encouragement, and the effective collaboration we experienced as we worked on the Cedar Fire.

This will be the final Cedar Fire update from SWIMT2. Thank you for welcoming us into your community.

Location: Southwest of Show Low and Pinetop-Lakeside, east of Highway 60 on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation
Start date: Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Size: 45,977
Percent Contained: 60%
Cause: Undetermined
Resources Assigned: 774

Containment increased yesterday to 60% due to the dedicated efforts of firefighters across all divisions, though small pockets of activity still remain in isolated portions of the fire. The western edge south of Long Tom Canyon and small sections along the southeastern corner of the fire continue to have active burning in drainages, all within the fire perimeter. Crews will continue to patrol contained lined on Sunday, ensuring that any residual heat near the containment lines is extinguished.

Crews have begun repair and rehabilitation work across several sections of the fire. Fire Suppression Repair, includes a series of immediate post-fire actions to repair damages and minimize soil erosion and impacts resulting from fire suppression. These actions usually begin before the fire is fully contained, and before the demobilization of the Incident Management Team. This work repairs the fire lines created by crews and dozers, and repairs or rehabs the roads, trails, staging areas, safety zones, and drop points established or used during fire suppression efforts.

The Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team has arrived on site. BAER is the rapid assessment of burned watersheds to identify imminent post-wildfire threats to human life and safety, property, and critical natural resources or cultural resources on affected lands. Fires result in loss of vegetation, exposure of soil to erosion risks, and increased water runoff that may lead to flooding, increased sediment, debris flows, or damage to critical natural and cultural resources.

Weather has moderated, with cooler temperatures and higher humidity. Incident meteorologists have indicated an increased chance for thunderstorms with measurable rainfall beginning on Tuesday.

The Southwest Area Type 1 Incident Management Team 2, led by Incident Commander John Pierson, is preparing to turn the fire over to the local White Mountain Type 3 Incident Management Team early in the week.

Location: Southwest of Show Low and Pinetop-Lakeside, east of Highway 60 on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation
Start date: Wednesday, June 15, 2016 Cause: Undetermined
Size: Approximately 45,918 acres Resources Assigned: 899 Personnel
Percent Contained: 51%

Crews on the fire made remarkable progress reinforcing the perimeter and securing more areas along the outer perimeter which increased the overall percent containment of the fire to 51%. There are isolated areas along the lower west side and the southeast portions of the fire that has some active burning. This burning remains within the interior of the established fire control lines. Chipping operations and other rehab functions are being performed in all other areas of the fire perimeter to ensure the security of the established fire control lines.
US 60 is now open for public travel, however we urge all those traveling along US 60 to be cautious of the fire traffic and the possibility of wildlife moving in and out of the area. Please do not stop or attempt to make entry into the fire area. There will be an increase in the presence of law enforcement along this corridor to maintain safe traffic flow. Please use extreme caution, exercise patience and observe all traffic laws.
There will be a slight increase of relative humidity and calmer winds in the local area which will assist the firefighters in their efforts today. There will be a possibility of storms coming into the area mainly to the east of the fire area, be aware of the possibility of flooding.
As the security of the fire perimeter increases, the process of releasing fire resources has begun.
Pre-evacuation orders have been lifted for the Show Low, Pinetop-Lakeside, Hon Dah and McNary communities. The fire pre-evacuation orders for Cedar Creek and Carrizo communities have been changed to flooding pre-evacuation orders.
A Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team has been evaluating the fire’s impact on the Cedar Creek, Cedar Canyon, and Long Tom drainages. Well over 50% of the drainages suffered severe fire effects, and the BAER team has determined that the volume of water carried by all three drainages will increase substantially. The Cedar Creek drainage is of highest concern, however, because of the high percentage of burned area. The BAER team, in collaboration with the White Mountain Apache Tribe and Navajo and Gila Counties, is evaluating possible mitigating and/or emergency actions that can be taken in the very short term as well as over the next several months to ensure the safety of the residents of Cedar Creek and Carrizo.