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Mescal Fire Update, June 13, 2021

Organization

Bureau of Land Management

Media Contact:

Southwest Area Incident Management Team
602-428-5397

Acres: 72,250 acres
Cause: Under Investigation
Containment: 85% 
Total personnel: 336 
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’ 

Announcement: There has been no increase in fire size for the last three days on the Mescal Fire. Firefighters continue to work hard, and containment has increased to 85%. The Incident Management Team is repairing damage and preparing to transfer command of the incident over to the local Incident Type 4 Management Team on Monday at 8pm.

Overview: Crews on the Mescal Fire continue to monitor and patrol the fire’s perimeter and put out any hot spots near the fireline. All major roads and highways are open. There are no communities currently in evacuation status, due to the Mescal Fire. Beverly Hills, T 11 Ranch, El Capitan and Skill Center remain in "Set" status due to wildfire threats from the Telegraph Fire. Record breaking temperatures and extreme dryness have caused fire restrictions to be put in place across much of the region. 

Fire Update: Crews have been successful in holding and improving the perimeter and are now working to repair areas. Crews are repairing impacts from firefighting activities across the 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. The weather for the next 6 days will be characterized by record breaking heat, and extremely low humidity, which increase the risk of new fires. Please follow local fire restrictions due to the hot, dry, and windy conditions. Sparks from trailer chains and 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, conditions, including low relative humidity (RH) values near 1%, will continue to exacerbate the potential for a rapid spread of any new fires. Today, we will see temperatures ranging from 103-106 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 Mescal 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 to moderate smoke is occurring this morning primarily from the Telegraph Fire. Lesser smoke continues to be 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 and US-70 to San Carlos, especially this afternoon when winds will push smoke more east-northeast.

Do I need to be concerned? While it’s always smart to pay attention to air quality where you live, some people may be at greater risk from particle pollution. They include:  

  • People with cardiovascular disease (diseases of the heart and blood vessels)
  • People with lung disease, including asthma and COPD
  • Children and teenagers
  • Older adults
  • Research indicates that obesity or diabetes may increase risk.
  • New or expectant mothers may also want to take precautions to protect the health of their babies.

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.