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Mescal Fire Update, June 10, 2021

Organization

Bureau of Land Management

BLM Office:

Gila District Office

Media Contact:

Southwest Area Incident Management Team
602-428-5397

Acres: 72,250 acres
Cause: Under Investigation
Containment: 36% 
Total personnel: 542 
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 hold fireline, roadways re-open and more residents return home

Ko’ Ba Nagoni i’ 

Announcement:  State Route 77 between Winkelman to Globe reopened to all traffic Wednesday afternoon. Beverly Hills, T-11 Ranch and the residents of El Capitan living on the east side of Highway 77 were allowed to return home yesterday. 

Overview: Firefighters have consciously worked to protect as much of the important native vegetation as possible for tribal values and native wildlife, while safely working to contain the fire. Crews continue to monitor, patrol and make sure the firelines hold. Multiple firefighting tactics have been necessary to respond to and remove unburned fuels along the fire’s perimeter, including aerial firing of Plastic Sphere Dispensers (PSD), retardant drops and on-the-ground burning. This is due to several factors including the hot and dry temperatures, drought conditions, and the rugged topography of the area. While fire activity is beginning to moderate, a high potential still exists for active to extreme fire behavior. 

Fire Update: Fire activity on the Mescal Fire has reduced to moderate over the course of the last 24 hours, as fire spread has reached most containment lines. Crews continue to hold and improve containment lines across the affected area. 

Weather: Hot and dry conditions will continue to support a high potential for a rapid return of active fire behavior. Temperatures will range from the mid-90s to 101 degrees with 11-16 mph sustained winds with extremely low relative humidity of 3%.

Evacuation Status Ready, Set, Go:
The following communities are now “SET” status, including Beverly Hills and the T 11 Ranch. The communities of El Capitan (East and West of Highway 77), Skill Center, Lower Peridot, South Peridot remain in “SET” status. The communities of San Carlos, Lower Peridot, Peridot South, and Coyote Flats (San Carlos High School area) have returned to a “READY” status.

Highway Closures: Highway 70 and State Route 77 are open to all traffic. US 60 (Superior to Miami) and SR 177 (Superior to Winkelman) remain closed for public and firefighter safety due to the Telegraph Fire. For current highway information visit https://az511.gov/. An area closure remains in effect for the fire area.

Smoke: Light to at times moderate 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. Moderate impacts are expected as smoke settles into the US 60 corridor between Superior and Globe, with lighter impacts in San Carlos and Peridot tonight into Friday. 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 

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.