There are currently no Ready, Set, or Go evacuation guidelines along the Elliott Highway for the Grapefruit Complex Fire. The portions of the Elliott Highway that were in “Ready” status have been reduced this morning by the fire incident team and Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

As summer continues, be sure to do your part to prevent the start of wildland fires in our state. Never leave a campfire unattended; be sure it is completely out when you are done. Deposit all cigarette butts in proper containers. Don’t drag chains when towing. Do not drive ATVs or dirt bikes through dry grass. For the latest wildland fire info across Alaska visit: akfireinfo.com.

Due to reduced wildland fire activity associated with the Globe Fire (#253), the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Eastern Interior Field Office rescinded the fire closure for the western portion of the White Mountains National Recreation Area near the Wickersham Dome Trailhead at mile 28 of the Elliott Highway. The area will reopen at 12:00 p.m. today. There are no remaining public access closures for the White Mountains. Cooler, wet weather helped control fire activity, but visitors should remain alert for changes.  

Cooler temperatures, increasing humidity, and light winds to the south allowed fire crews to begin tactical firing operations along the eastern end of the Lockett Fire planning area perimeter yesterday evening, treating 274 acres of forest landscape with low-severity fire. The applied fire moved slowly across the forest floor, consuming pine needle duff, dead-and-down woody debris, and some standing snags.

Crews are resuming firing operations this morning along Forest Roads 307 and 310. To reduce risk to ground crews from heat and hazardous terrain, a helicopter will be utilized for aerial ignitions of the interior of the planning area. A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) has been established close around the Lockett Fire to minimize impact upon local flight tour services of the Grand Canyon while providing safety for air and ground fire crews. Drones are not permitted in the vicinity of a wildfire as unauthorized drones pose serious risks to firefighter safety. Remember, if you fly, we can’t.

Once ignitions begin, smoke will be visible from forest roads in the vicinity of the fire, along State Route 64/East Rim Drive within Grand Canyon National Park, and the Town of Tusayan. Winds are expected to carry smoke to the south during the day, settling into low-lying areas overnight.

The National Weather Service forecast for this week calls for slightly cooling weather closer to the weekend with an increasing chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms, especially by the weekend and into next week.

Eighty personnel from the USDA Forest Service and National Park Service are currently assigned to the Lockett Fire. The fire is currently a total of 344-acres. The public can expect to see an increase in fire size over the coming days. It’s important to remember that an increase in acres is not an indicator of fire behavior. 

Managing naturally caused wildfires across the landscape is a very effective tool in restoring the forest to a healthier condition, and these efforts align with the Forest Service's 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy, which aims to increase the use of fire on the landscape as well as other treatments to improve forest resiliency for generations to come.

Additional information can be found on the Kaibab NF website, X, Facebook, Flickr, or by calling the local ranger stations. 

Southwest Area Team 1 Assumes Command of the Pius Fire

Daily Update July 10, 2024

Acres:              1,714                                                                Start Date: 07/08/24

Location:           20 miles NE of Payson, AZ                                Personnel: 76

Containment:   0%                                                                      Fuels: Timber

Resources:      1 Initial Attack Crew | 4 Engines | 4 helicopters | 1 Water Tender | 5 Dozers 

Highlights: At 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 10, Southwest Area Team 1 assumed command of the Pius Fire. This is full suppression fire; the incident management team will use both direct and in-direct tactics to support the suppression efforts. Resources on scene include hand crews, engines, heavy equipment and both fixed and rotor wing aircraft. 

Fire Activity: Initial attack resources remained on the fire overnight, working to establish containment lines around values at risk. Firefighters and equipment continue to construct fire line today and will be using back firing operations where necessary to support containment efforts. Aerial resources will continue to be utilized to both monitor fire growth as well as support ground operations through water drops. High winds and heavy fuel in the fire area will continue to contribute to fire growth. Key values at risk including private inholdings, popular recreation areas, and power infrastructure are areas firefighters will focus efforts during today’s operations. 

Weather: Hot and dry conditions are expected to continue with high temperatures in the 90s and winds northwest at 10-15 mph. 

Smoke: Smoke is expected to impact the communities of Christoper Creek, Payson, Young, Forest Lakes, Heber-Overgaard, and Highway 260. For updates on smoke conditions in your local area visit www.fire.airnow.gov.

Closures/ Evacuations: The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office has issued a ‘SET’ notice for the immediate area around Knoll Lake and the associated campground. A ‘GO’ notice, evacuate immediately, has been issued for Bear Canyon Lake including areas north of Forest Road 300, east of Forest Road 115, south of Forest Road 225, and west of Forest Road 34. To find more information about current evacuations please visit the Coconino County Emergency Management website. 

More Information:

Fire Information: 928-216-3127                                                                    Email: 2024.pius@firenet.gov

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/apachesitgreavesnfs                         

Inciweb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/azasf-pius-fire

Alaska Incident Management Team 3 

Incident Commander: Peter Butteri   

Location: 40 Miles north of Fairbanks  

Complex Acres:  90,698 

Personnel: 178  

Containment: 0% 

Completed Structure Preparation: 85% 

Demobilizing of firefighting personnel and removing equipment from the field are in the final stages. Alaska Incident Management Team will transition the Grapefruit Complex to a Type 4 Organization on Friday at 4 p.m.  

This will be the final update unless there are significant changes.  

Wednesday will be significantly warmer and drier with similar weather expected on Thursday and Friday. Highs will reach the low to mid 70s under partly to mostly cloudy skies. Thursday has the best chance for additional rain with a system arriving from the east. Winds will remain light with gusts up to 15 mph. Relative humidity will drop to 40 and 45% with the driest day expected Saturday. 

The Grapefruit Complex includes: 

Globe Fire (#253) – 21,761 Acres 

Iver Fire (#249) – 23,378 Acres 

Eagle Fire (#306) – 5,059 Acres 

Wilber Fire (#308) – 432 Acres  

Noodor Fire (#192) – 13,868 Acres 

Fossil Fire (#115) – 8 Acres. The Fossil Fire was declared out by fire managers on July 8. 

Evacuations: All levels of evacuations have been lifted. As a reminder to not wait for an emergency to be in a Ready State. 

Smoke: The fire perimeter is unlikely to change. However, as daytime temperatures rise in the upcoming weeks if the fuels dry out, some of the held heat through the rain event may produce smoke. Please turn on your headlights to help ensure the safety of firefighters and flaggers working in the area. 

Road access: The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities will implement a 12-hour closure from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. for permanent repairs at milepost 57 the week of July 15. These repairs are not associated with fire activity or suppression efforts. Check https://511.alaska.gov/ for additional road updates.  

In addition to the above repair efforts, between Mile Post 28 and 57 areas of road damage are being identified and repaired. Watch for ADOT flagging personnel. Please turn on your headlights is advised to help ensure the safety of firefighters and flaggers working in the area. 

Closures: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Eastern Interior Field Office will lift the White Mountains National Recreation Area closure at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 10, 2024. 

Pioneer Fire Update for July 10, 2024  

Incident Commander Jeff Dimke

Complex Incident Management Team Northwest 12

541-861-5808, staffed 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. 2024.pioneer@firenet.gov 

Start date: June 8, 2024  

Location: 31 miles northwest of Chelan, WA  

Containment: 14%  

Fire size: 12,265 acres  

Cause: Human caused, under investigation  

Total personnel: 818

A public meeting will be held today at 5:30 PM at the Manson Grange. The meeting will be streamed live on Facebook. Please submit questions to 2024.pioneer@firenet.gov or via Messenger. There also will be a public meeting at the Golden West Visitor Center in Stehekin on July 11 at 6 PM.

The Pioneer Fire is burning within a mountainous and remote area on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest near Lake Chelan. Although much of the fire is in the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness, firefighters are using a full suppression response to protect values at risk, life, and property, while always keeping firefighter and public safety as the primary objective. The communities of Chelan, Manson, and Stehekin are open and continue to welcome visitors. Many recreation sites along Lake Chelan remain open and accessible (see closure information below).

Crews made progress around the community of Stehekin yesterday, brushing along the main road as a designated contingency line. Two smoke columns were prominent in the afternoon from active fire behavior in Meadow Creek and Prince Creek drainages. Short upslope runs circled around Horton Butte, but helicopter water drops kept the fire from impacting Fish Creek. Heavy equipment continued to work on contingency line construction along the ridge northwest of Gold Creek and firefighters scouted the line downslope to Lake Chelan. Firefighters made good progress and continued with structure assessment and protection needs for buildings and residences around the lake. Aircraft assisted with initial attack on a new start and dropped 76,000 gallons on the Pioneer Fire alone. A heat-related medical emergency occurred with one firefighter transported via helicopter for treatment; the firefighter is in stable condition and will be released today.

Efforts on Nelson Ridge are continuing today as firefighters work the from the bottom of the lake shore, connecting the hose lays as they continue to build contingency lines in the area. Uncrewed Aerial Systems will be working across different sections of the fire to gather observations and intelligence including infrared data. Firefighters are assessing structures around Deer Point as well as continuing community protection in Stehekin. Crews will continue constructing contingency line along Cooper Mountain Divide toward Antilon.

WEATHER AND SMOKE: A dry cold front will pass over the fire area today bringing gusty winds and low relative humidity resulting in the National Weather Service issuing a red flag warning today. The air quality outlook can be found at https://bit.ly/PioneerFireSmoke. Learn more about smoke at smokeready.org. The fire marshal issued fire danger ratings and restrictions; see https://t.ly/WLBds for more information. 

EVACUATIONS AND CLOSURES: Level 1, 2, and 3 evacuation levels remain in effect around the Pioneer Fire; please visit https://t.ly/QoH9w for more information. The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest has a closure order in place for much of the fire area. Details and maps are available at: https://bit.ly/PioneerClosure. 

A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the fire: https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_4_6779.html. 

https://linktr.ee/pioneerfirechelan 

A community meeting was held on Thursday, July 11, 2024 at the Lytle Creek Community Center at 6:00 pm to address fire operations and public concerns. This meeting was for residents in the Lytle Creek area and was live-streamed on the San Bernardino National Forest Facebook page. A recording of the event can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/BW8iTTaA7R5dmyXp/ 

Fire closure order rescinded. Public access restored to popular trails and cabins near Wickersham Dome.

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Due to reduced wildland fire activity associated with the Globe Fire (#253), the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Eastern Interior Field Office rescinded the fire closure for the western portion of the White Mountains National Recreation Area near the Wickersham Dome Trailhead at mile 28 of the Elliott Highway. The area will reopen at 12:00 p.m. today. There are no remaining public access closures for the White Mountains. Cooler, wet weather helped control fire activity, but visitors should remain alert for changes.  

 Visitors are encouraged to practice these outdoor fire safety principles:  

·         Make a fire only if you have sufficient water to put it out completely.  

·         Never leave a fire unattended.   

·         Keep fires small and manageable.   

·         Extinguish fires completely using the water, stir, water, repeat method. If it is too hot to touch, it is too hot to leave. Every campfire should be cold before leaving it.   

 Visitors should stay tuned to fire activity at akfireinfo.com and check for BLM Alaska fire restrictions website for current orders: https://www.blm.gov/programs/fire-and-aviation/regional-info/alaska-fire-service/fire-restrictions   

 More information about fire prevention is available at https://www.blm.gov/programs/public-safety-and-fire/fire-and-aviation/get-involved/fire-prevention. 

INCIDENT UPDATE

Date: 7-9-2024 Time: 10:00 am

Size: 2,354 acres                                                                   Start Date & Time: 7-7-24 9:51 am

Containment: 0%                                                               Cause: Under Investigation

Total Personnel: 406                                                         Location: Southside of Lytle Creek

Structures Threatened: 149                                             Unified Command Agencies: California Incident Management Team 15, San

The Vista Fire experienced significant growth overnight. A heat advisory is in effect until 9:00 pm Thursday night which will cause hot and dry conditions across the fire area. The weather, deep terrain and very dry fuels will contribute to an anticipated increase in fire behavior this afternoon. Crews will focus on establishing an anchor point on the NW side of the Vista Fire to begin laying containment lines. Air resources are being used to slow the growth of the fire. Last night, quick reaction forces (QRF) consisting of two heavy helicopters dropped 60,ooo gallons of water, cooling the fire area and aiding fire fighters in holding the fire’s edge. Along the northwest flank, the fire is holding in Stockton Flats. Slopover did occur on the western flank but was easily contained as the fire is moving through a sparsely fueled area. The eastern flank skirted the 2023 Nob Fire scar which has kept eastern spread to a minimum. Last yesterday afternoon, one spot fire occurred about a mile east from the fire’s edge. It was quickly addressed with water drops, and ground crews will hike into the area during today’s operations. The majority of growth occurred along the south, southeast edge of the fire with an increase of
1200 acres toward Coldwater Canyon. 

Today, firefighters will continue suppression efforts from the air and ground looking for opportunities to create containment lines in the rugged, steep terrain. More fire resources are arriving and will increase the capacity to contain the Vista Fire. There will be a community meeting Thursday, July 11, 2024 at the Lytle Creek Community Center at 6:00 pm. This meeting is for residents in the Lytle Creek area. Lytle Creek Road is open to residents only north of Glen Helen Parkway. The meeting will be live-streamed on the San Bernadino National Forest Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/SanBernardinoNF/. Questions may be posted during the live-stream.

AIR QULITY: 

Visit AirNow.gov for information and actions you can take to protect yourself and loved ones.

ROAD CLOSURES:

Lytle Creek Road closure had been moved to Meyer Canyon Road.

EVACUATIONS:

Mt. Baldy Resort.

CLOSURES:

The portion of the Pacific Crest Trail from Lytle Creek to Mt. Baldy is closed. Those recreating in the Mt Baldy area are strongly advised to stay off impacted trails.

FIRE RESTRICTIONS:

The San Bernardino National Forest has implemented increased fire restrictions. Campfires and stove fires are restricted to those developed areas listed in the Forest Order.

Size:  172,236 

Personnel:  118 

Start Date: June 8, 2024 

Cause:  Lightning 

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Fire managers conducted an aerial survey of the fire and mop-up operations in the 5 Mile Creek Area on Tuesday. The diligent efforts of firefighters to protect valuable areas from the fire are evident. The only visible smoke near these areas comes from fire crews burning piles to further secure the line.  

Helicopters with sling loads and local boats have been essential in transporting crews and supplies to and from the fireline. The logistics team began demobilizing excess supplies and assessing the backhaul for transport back to the fire cache in Fairbanks. Crews will remain on the fire mopping up in the 5 Mile Creek Area until pre-identified standards are met.  

Weather: Wednesday will be mostly sunny with a high near 73 with a slight east wind at 5 mph. There’s a 10% chance of precipitation, with scattered showers starting in the evening and continuing into Thursday.  

Evacuation Notices: A Level 2: SET evacuation notice is in effect for about 21 cabins near the fire’s southeastern edge west of the Tanana River. Communities east of the Tanana River are in READY status, including the Johnson Road neighborhoods, Canaday, Harding Lake, Salcha, the Lower Salcha River, Hollies Acres, and south to Birch Lake. Find more information and an interactive map of these areas on the Fairbanks North Star Borough Emergency Services website. 

Temporary Flight Restriction: The temporary flight restriction (TFR) has been adjusted based on public input to give float plane access to Harding Lake. Be aware helicopter operations to support the fire still continue in the area. Visit tfr.faa.gov for more information. 

-BLM- 

Bureau of Land Management, Alaska Fire Service, P.O. Box 35005, 1541 Gaffney Road, Fort Wainwright, AK 99703 

Need public domain imagery to complement news coverage of the BLM Alaska Fire Service in Alaska?  

Visit our Flickr channel! Learn more at www.blm.gov/AlaskaFireService, and on Facebook and Twitter. 

The Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Service (AFS) located at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, provides wildland fire suppression services for over 240 million acres of Department of the Interior and Native Corporation Lands in Alaska. In addition, AFS has other statewide responsibilities that include: interpretation of fire management policy; oversight of the BLM Alaska Aviation program; fuels management projects; and operating and maintaining advanced communication and computer systems such as the Alaska Lightning Detection System. AFS also maintains a National Incident Support Cache with a $18.1 million inventory. The Alaska Fire Service provides wildland fire suppression services for America’s “Last Frontier” on an interagency basis with the State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources, USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Military in Alaska.