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Mescal Fire Update, June 7, 2021

Organization:

Bureau of Land Management

Media Contact:

Southwest Area Incident Management Team
602-428-5397

Acres: 52,887 acres
Cause: Under Investigation
Containment: 8% 
Total personnel: 672 
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 

Crews working to prevent Mescal Fire from crossing US Highway 70

Ko' Ba Nagoni i'

Announcement:  There will be a virtual community meeting tonight, Monday, June 7, 2021, at 7:00 pm.  This will be broadcast live on the Mescal Fire Information Facebook page at: 
https://www.facebook.com/Mescal-Fire-Information-101095532201192 

Overview: Firefighters made progress today building and reinforcing fireline, despite the continued hot and dry weather. Extreme fire behavior continues to dictate how and where firefighters can safely build line to protect the communities, and powerline.  The fire is very visible at night as it moves down the north side of Hog Mountain.  Firefighters have plans in place to prevent the fire from reaching Highway 70. 

Fire Update: Extreme fire activity occurred again on Sunday and can be expected to continue. Firefighters have been reinforcing line along Route 3 down to the Gila River to protect the Soda Canyon Community. Crews also worked along the 624 Road out to Highway 70 and have begun to burn along the Highway moving west toward Cutter in an effort to prevent the fire from crossing the Highway. Fire is slowly backing down the ridge toward Mescal Ranch, and firefighters are prepared to prevent the fire from reaching the structures on the private property. Crews worked on the 700 Road as well as the 735 Road near El Capitan to prevent fire from moving west toward the structures on the east side of Highway 77. Firefighters will also be working to hold the 700 Road north of 732 Road to prevent the fire from moving back toward the west. Air tankers and helicopters are being utilized extensively to support firefighters on the ground as needed. Crews are still protecting the powerline. 

Weather: High, thin clouds will move across the area, and winds will change to a more southwesterly flow typical for this time of year. Winds will be out of the southwest, increasing to 12 – 17 mph, with afternoon gusts of up to 30 mph. Fire whirls and runs were seen on the fire Sunday, and these conditions are expected to continue.

Evacuation Status Ready, Set, Go:
The following communities are in “Go” status and evacuation orders have been issued:

  • San Carlos High School Area (Coyote Flats)
  • Soda Canyon
  • Residents of El Capitan living on the east side of State Route 77

The following communities are in “SET” and should get prepared and alert for updates:

  • Lower Peridot
  • Skill Center
  • Peridot South
  • T11 Ranch
  • Beverly Hills
  • El Capitan west of State Route 77

Highway Closures: The Arizona Department of Transportation has closed State Route 77, between Winkelman and US Highway 70, due to smoke and to allow firefighters to travel to and work safely in the area. US Highway 70 reopened this morning to light traffic (no semis), which is being rerouted around the fire area.

Smoke: Moderate to heavy smoke is occurring this morning near the Mescal and Telegraph Fires. Most ground level smoke will lift by 1100 AM. As fire activity increases, moderate to heavy smoke will push northeast. This will impact Peridot/San Carlos today. This will also impact any communities along US 70 between Cutter and Bylas. A second area of heavy smoke will impact areas along US 60 between Superior, Miami, Claypool, and Globe. Light smoke is likely well northeast of the area into Northeast Arizona and Northwest New Mexico. Heavy smoke impacts are expected as smoke settles into the US 60 corridor between Superior and Globe, as well as San Carlos and Peridot tonight into Tuesday. Smoke patterns will be similar to yesterday with moderate to heavy impacts for communities immediately northeast of the fires. 

Highway Safety Message: Expect moderate to heavy smoke on roadways with visibility below one mile at times. Motorists are urged to use caution around and downwind of the fire area. Impacted Highways - US 70/60, SR 77/177. 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 

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.