Single Publication

Fires experience no growth over last 24 hours; containment increases

Daily Update – Thursday, August 15, 2024

Highlights: 

Total personnel on all incidents: 297

Clair: 2,170 acres; 92% containment

Bartlett: 6,161 acres; 96% containment

Y Bar: 297 acres; 93% containment

Sheep: 2,483 acres; 26% containment

Sand Stone: 27,390 acres; 98% containment

Deer: 378 acres; 37% containment

Operational Update: Fire activity consisted of minimal creeping and smoldering, resulting in no significant movement. Firefighters completed mastication and chipping activities along 2.5 miles of Forest Road 201 around the Sand Stone and Y Bar Fire areas. Firefighters are holding and monitoring fire perimeters and will conduct reconnaissance flights. Crews remain available to provide for initial attack of new fire starts within their designated response area, while also assisting the Tonto National Forest with additional resources as requested.

Weather: Expect temperatures to be fairly stable through the next 7 days, with afternoon highs nearing 110°F.

Smoke: Some smoke is possible but unlikely to 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