5/7/14 8:30 am
Whiteriver residents may have smoke in low lying areas due to the Basin Fire buring on the San Carlos Reservation.
Basin Fire burning in San Carlos
Last update posted April 30, 2014 at 11:03 a.m. The Basin Fire is a Low intensity Type 4 fire that has grown to 810 acres despite recent rain. The fire continues to consume the heavy fuels in the ponderosa pine ecosystem and creeping though the grass understory of pinion juniper on the ridges.

The main objectives of the fire are:

·Fire fighter and public safety.

·Monitor fire including observing and recording weather, fuels fire behavior and smoke, evaluating land use and resource management for using fire for ecological benefits and identifying values to be protected.

·Manage fire for multiple objectives including reducing hazardous fuels and loading, create ignition buffers and create open mosaic patterns in woodland ecosystems within the designated perimeter.

·Provide training opportunity for tribal members.

·Keep Tribe, Tribal members and neighbors informed on fire status.

Resources assigned include: 1 Type 6 engine, 1 Type 2 IA crew, 2 pieces of heavy equipment and 5 miscellaneous overhead.

Road 1516 and 1559 have been connected to secure the North and East side of the fire. Plans are to continue with black lining the perimeter and identifying potential holding features.

(Source: Inciweb)