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Mescal Fire Update, June 6, 2021

Organization

Bureau of Land Management

BLM Office:

Gila District Office

Media Contact:

Southwest Area Incident Management Team
602-428-5397

Acres: Estimate of 25,973 acres 
Cause: Under Investigation 
Containment: 2% 
Total personnel: 524 
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 work overnight to protect communities

Ko' Ba Nagoni i'

Overview: Gusty winds, up to 40 mph caused the Mescal Fire to burn rapidly to the north and east Saturday. Additional evacuations were ordered for the community of Coyote Flats. The large increase in fire acreage is what caused the percent of containment to decrease. Firefighters are concentrating their efforts around communities threatened by the Mescal Fire. Highway 77 between Winkelman and Globe remains closed. 

Fire Update: The Mescal Fire experienced extreme fire activity on Saturday, driven by a sustained wind throughout the day, with gusts up to 40 mph. The fire crossed the 600 Road (Old Coolidge Dam Road) and pushed toward Route 3 moving over Hog Mountain. Firefighters successfully built fireline and burned along the 600 and 740 roads to protect the community of Soda Canyon Friday night. On Saturday they worked to prevent the fire from moving through the San Carlos High School Area. Today, firefighters will continue to use heavy equipment along the 732 Road to help prevent the fire from moving into El Capitan 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 east and will improve the 600 Road to keep the fire from crossing the 600 Road in any additional locations. Air tankers and helicopters are being utilized extensively to support firefighters on the ground as needed. Crews are still protecting the powerline. 

Weather: Temperatures and humidities to remain hot and dry, with winds slowly decreasing to about 15-20 mph in the afternoon, which should allow firefighters more time to assess and construct firelines. The two-year extreme drought, combined with dead grasses, may lead to extreme fire behavior and fire runs where wind aligns with the terrain. 

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: Highway Safety Message (Hazard Symbol) - Expect moderate to heavy smoke impacts on area roadways with visibility below one mile at times. Motorists are urged to use caution when traveling around and downwind of the fire area. Impacted Highways - US 70 and 60, SR 77 and 177. Moderate to heavy smoke is occurring this morning around the Mescal Fire. Much of the ground level smoke will lift by 10:00 AM. As winds and fire activity increase, moderate to heavy smoke will push northeast. This will impact Peridot and San Carlos through the day, as well as communities along US 70 between Cutter and Bylas. With slightly lighter winds, smoke will lift and disperse. Light smoke will be possible well northeast of the area into northeast AZ and northwest NM. Moderate to heavy smoke impacts are expected as smoke settles into San Carlos and Peridot tonight into Monday morning. Smoke patterns will be similar to yesterday with moderate to at times heavy impacts for communities immediately northeast of the fire. 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.