April 27, 2018, For Immediate Release — Coconino National Forest firefighters are responding to a wildfire, the Tinder Fire, in East Clear Creek was spotted today at approximately 11:45 a.m.
Firefighters from the Mogollon Rim Ranger District began fighting a wildfire near Forest Road 95, approximately 1.5 miles east of C.C. Cragin Reservoir, which was burning in approximately 50 acres of standing pine and mixed conifer forest going to the bottom of East Clear Creek.
The fire as of 5 p.m. has grown to approximately 150 acres and has six engines, four type I handcrews, two dozers, two water tenders, three air tankers, five helicopters, an air attack aircraft and a lead aircraft battling the wildfire. A type I Incident Management Team has been ordered to work this wildfire incident and are expected to be in the area tomorrow.
More than 100 firefighters are working on the ground and the air to stop the wildfire. There was no recorded lightening in the area and the fire is under investigation.
Drivers in the area are asked to drive cautiously while other resources may be responding on highways and forest roads near the Blue Ridge Ranger office. These responders, smoke, and the crews on the ground create hazardous driving conditions in the area.
The fire is producing a smoke which may be limit visibility on state Route 87 and local forest roads. Arizona Department of Transportation has responded to the area to assess traffic needs.
Notifications of fires are provided regularly by news releases and by the following online resources:
• Inciweb: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/CoconinoNF
• Coconino website: www.coconinonationalforest.us, (Under News and Events)
• Sign up to receive news releases: www.fs.fed.us/news/subscription.shtml