Single Publication

Acres: 11,162 
Start Date: July 11, 2024 
Location: South of Roosevelt Lake on the edge of the Superstition Wilderness 
Cause: Lightning 
Personnel: 379
Fuels: Tall Grass and Brush 
Containment: 45%
Resources: 9 Crews | 4 Engines | 5 Helicopters | 3 Bulldozers | 6 Water Tenders

Highlights: Gila County Division of Emergency Management along with the Gila County Sheriff’s Office lifted evacuation orders for all residences affected by the Black Fire except for the Reavis Mountain School, which remains in “GO”. Tonto National Monument was moved to a “SET” status and will remain closed to the public. All lands lakeside of Highway 188 remain in a “READY” status, Frazier Horse Camp and Grapevine Campground remain closed to fire personnel activity. We do ask that all other residences affected by the Black Fire remain in “READY”. Which means be aware of the hazards that can threaten your community and follow local news, weather watches, weather warnings and public health recommendations. For more information about Ready, Set, Go and to sign up for alert notifications visit https://ein.az.gov/ready-set-go. 

Southwest Incident Team 3 will host a virtual public meeting tonight; Friday, July 19, 2024, at 7 p.m. to share information regarding the Black Fire. The meeting can be viewed live on Facebook @TontoNationalForest. 

Operations: During the cooler nighttime temperatures, firefighters safely hiked into the Northwest portion of the fire and were successful in securing the fires edge and extinguishing a spot fire on the southern edge of the wilderness. They continued securing the fire’s edge working from the wilderness and up to the north flank to the Cottonwood Wash Drainage. Firefighters will continue to monitor the smoldering pockets of fuel inside the Superstition Wilderness; depending on weather conditions and fire activity in the wilderness, firefighters may be inserted for suppression operations. Thunderstorms early yesterday morning produced some rain, but not enough to help with suppression efforts within the fire perimeter. Firefighters continue to extinguish burning fuels along the uncontained fire perimeter while monitoring for increased activity during thunderstorm events. Heavy equipment has started working to improve access and clean up debris along Forest Road 341 north to State Highway 188, in addition to Forest Road 1457 near Black Brush Ranch.  

Weather: There is a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3 p.m. Friday. Mostly sunny, with a high near 106 degrees. Breezy, with an east-northeast wind of 5 to 15 mph becoming west southwest in the afternoon. 

Smoke: Individuals who are sensitive to smoke or have conditions aggravated by smoke are encouraged to take precautionary measures. An interactive smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov/  allows you to zoom into your area to see the latest smoke conditions. 

Closures: The Tonto National Forest has issued a closure for land surrounding the Black Fire. 03-12-00-24-31_Black Fire_Closure_Order. Additionally, the Tonto National Monument is closed. National Park Service Alerts.

Evacuations: For current evacuation information please call Gila County Emergency Management at 928-910-4009 EXT 1 or visit the Gila County Government Facebook page at -  https://www.facebook.com/gilacountygovernment/

Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the highest priority. Please avoid the area while crews conduct fire suppression operations. Citizens are urged to sign up for the Gila and Maricopa County Emergency Notification System. To learn more about the Arizona Emergency Information Network visit: https://ein.az.gov/ready-set-go.