Single Publication

Fire activity decreases; Bartlett Dam Road reopens

Daily Update – Saturday, August 10, 2024

Highlights: The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office reopened Bartlett Dam Road yesterday to restore access to Bartlett Reservoir. To provide for public health and safety due to increased flash flood potential, and to allow for natural resource protection and burn recovery, the Tonto National Forest has closed all National Forest System lands within 100 feet of the Bartlett Reservoir shoreline. Bartlett Lake Marina and Jojoba Boat Launch areas remain open. North Lake Road, Bartlett Flat, Yellow Cliffs Boat Launch, SB Cove, and Rattlesnake Day Use Area remain closed. 

Total personnel on all incidents: 405

Clair: 2,170 acres; 51% containment

Bartlett: 6,161 acres; 69% containment

Y Bar: 297 acres; 70% containment

Sheep: 2,483 acres; 0% containment

Sand Stone: 27,390 acres; 96% containment

Deer: 378 acres; 26% containment

Operational Update: Minimal fire activity continued on the Clair, Bartlett, Y Bar, Sheep, Sand Stone, and Deer Fires yesterday after rain fell across the area the previous day. Only a small amount of smoke was detected in the interior of the Y Bar Fire yesterday, with overall containment increasing to 70%. Around the Sand Stone and Y Bar Fire areas, firefighters continued mastication and chipping along Forest Road 201. Other fire suppression repair efforts include reconstructing berms along Old Highway 87 and repairing dozer lines put in place to prevent fire spread toward the communities of Deer Creek and Rye. Firefighters will continue to monitor and secure fire perimeters while also remaining available to respond to new fire starts as needed. Crews are using helicopters to perform daily reconnaissance flights over the fires and to investigate any new smoke reports that are not accessible by roads. Firefighters are providing assistance to the Tonto National Forest in response to two new fire starts discovered last night.

Weather: Mainly dry weather with near to above normal temperatures is expected this weekend. Monsoon thunderstorms will develop each afternoon with the highest chances for storms over the Y Bar, Deer, and Sheep Fires. These storms may bring strong wind gusts, cloud-to-ground lightning, and heavy rainfall. 

Smoke: Smoke may be visible from Fountain Hills, Sunflower, Deer Creek, Rye, Rio Verde, Goldfield, and unincorporated communities in the Rio Verde Foothills. An interactive smoke map is available at https://fire.airnow.gov/. 

Closures: The Tonto National Forest, Cave Creek Ranger District, has issued a Bartlett Lake Post Fire Flash Flood Public Safety Closure to include National Forest System Road 459 (North Lake Road) and all National Forest System lands within 100 feet of the Bartlett Reservoir shoreline. A closure order for the Sand Stone Fire area also remains in effect. See https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/tonto/alerts-notices/ for more information about forest closures. Trail users should avoid using the Arizona National Scenic Trail near the fire areas.

Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the first priority. Drivers are reminded to use caution and be aware of firefighters working along State Route 87. Temporary flight restrictions are currently in place for the Bartlett, Clair, and Y Bar Fires. Flying drones near wildfires is dangerous for pilots and firefighters and can bring wildfire suppression efforts to a halt. Know before you fly. If you fly, we can’t. More information can be found at: https://uas.nifc.gov/. 

More Information: 480-409-9683 / https://www.facebook.com/TontoNationalForest / 2024.sandstone@firenet.gov 

https://inciweb.fs2c.usda.gov/incident-information/aztnf-clair / https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/aztnf-bartlett / https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/aztnf-sand-stone