YOUNG, Az. – With smoke subsiding from the Poco Fire in Arizona’s Pleasant Valley and the Mogollon Rim communities, the Central West Zone Interagency Type 3 Incident Management Team turns fire management back to the Tonto National Forest at 9:00 a.m. Friday, June 29, 2012.

On Thursday, the Type 3 team maintained 90 fire personnel, mostly assigned to patrolling the fire’s perimeter and chipping downed trees to remove fuel from the fire zone. “We want to thank our firefighters and the communities we’re working to protect. We encourage the public to practice fire safety because the trees and shrubs are very dry and we remain in extreme fire danger,” says Andy Mandell, the incident commander trainee.

Mandell points out that two Type 1 firefighting crews and two engines will stay at the Pleasant Valley Ranger District along with miscellaneous fire personnel during the transition and due to the extreme fire danger.

As recreation increases in the area over the 4th of July, visitors and residents are warned to stay out of the Poco Fire zone as smoldering continues. Trees could fall and hotspots remain. For continued information, the public may contact the Pleasant Valley Ranger District in Young, Arizona, at: 928-462-4300