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Mescal Fire Update, June 12, 2021

Organization:

Bureau of Land Management

Media Contact:

Southwest Area Incident Management Team
602-428-5397

Acres: 72,250 acres
Cause: Under Investigation
Containment: 82% 
Total personnel: 342 
Start Date: Monday, June 1, 2021 
Location: 12 mi SE of Globe, AZ; 7 mi NE of Dripping Springs, AZ 
Fuels: Desert Brush, Oak, and grass 

Containment increases; Excessive heat and fire potential persist

Ko’ Ba Nagoni i’ 

Overview: Crews on the Mescal Fire continue to monitor and patrol the fire’s perimeter and interior hot spots. Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has reopened Highway 60 to all vehicle traffic. The communities of Beverly Hills, T 11 Ranch, El Capitan and Skill Center remained in "Set" status due to wildfire threats from the Telegraph Fire. Additionally, fire restrictions are in place and extreme heat is expected through early next week. 

Fire Update: The Mescal Fire exhibited minimal fire behavior and while several hot spots are still being monitored, crews have been successful in holding and improving the perimeter. Crews have begun repairing impacts from firefighting activities across the burn area including bulldozer lines and other suppression tactics that occurred south of Highway 70 and near the communities of El Capitan (east of Highway 77) and Soda Canyon. This weekend and into next week, wind and excessive heat, as well as potential dry thunderstorm conditions, will be risk factors for new starts. Please follow local fire restrictions due to the hot, dry, and windy conditions. Sparks from campfires, vehicles without spark arrestors, target shooting, improper disposal of smoking materials, and fireworks are among the top causes of wildfires. Visit the Arizona Interagency Wildfire Prevention website WildlandFire.AZ.gov/fire-restrictions to learn more about fire restrictions in your local area. 

Weather: Hot, dry, and windy conditions, including relative humidity (RH) values near 3%, will continue to support a high potential for a rapid spread of any new starts. Today, we will see temperatures ranging rom 100-103 degrees across the fire area and up to 108 in San Carlos.

Evacuation Status Ready, Set, Go: The communities of Beverly Hills, T 11 Ranch, El Capitan and Skill Center remained in "Set" status due to wildfire threats from the Telegraph Fire. An area closure remains in effect for the fire area. The closure includes both Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands.

Highway Closures: None at this time.

Smoke: Light smoke is occurring this morning primarily from the Telegraph Fire. Lesser smoke is being observed from the Mescal Fire with most ground level smoke lifting between 9:00 - 10:00 AM. As fire activity increases this afternoon, moderate smoke will push northeast from the Telegraph Fire. This will impact the US 60 corridor from Miami to Globe, especially this afternoon when winds may push smoke more east-northeast. Light impacts are expected as smoke settles into the US 60 corridor between Superior and Globe and into San Carlos and Peridot tonight into Sunday. With strong high pressure building into the region, expect a general haze increasing through the weekend. The Daily Smoke Outlook can be found at: https://fires.airfire.org/outlooks/EasternArizona

Values: Firefighter and public safety are the highest priorities on these fires. Firefighters are also working to protect the communities of San Carlos, Peridot, El Capitan, Drippings Springs, Soda Canyon, Skill Center and Beverly Hills; Mescal and T11 ranches, the powerline supplying San Carlos and Peridot, as well as historic and cultural sites within the fire area.

More Information:

Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7507/
Mescal Fire Information Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mescal-Fire-Information-101095532201192 
Highway Closure Information: https://az511.gov/
Evacuation Information:

Ready, Set, Go: https://ein.az.gov/ready-set-go 
Smoke Report: https://fires.airfire.org/outlooks/EasternArizona 
San Carlos Apache Forest Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SCATFORESTRY
BLM-Arizona Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BLMArizona 
Fire Restrictions in Arizona: https://wildlandfire.az.gov/fire-restrictions

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.