Tussock Fire Morning Update, May 11, 2021
Organization
BLM Office:
Media Contact:
Acres: 4,421
Percent Containment: 0%
Date/Time Detected: May 8, 2021. 2:15 PM
Structures burned: 0
Number of Resources: 230
Cause: Under investigation
Origin/Location: 7 miles southwest of Crown King.
Water and Retardant Dropped from Aircraft Aid Firefighting
The Southwest Type 1 Team 2 added additional firefighters and heavy equipment Monday to the Tussock fire, which is burning seven miles southwest of Crown King, Arizona. Air operations are effective along the southwest perimeter with water and retardant drops aiding ground crews who are building direct fire line from Johnson Flat towards the town of Minnehaha. Aircraft will be used Tuesday. Farther north, firefighters are working to protect structures in the Crown King area.
Overnight humidity was so low that fire activity in the grass and light brush fuels burned through the night, adding 500 acres to the fire. The fire continues to burn in extreme terrain on the fire’s east side, near the Crown King Trail. In these higher elevations, there are pockets of drought stressed chaparral tress burning in rough and rugged terrain. Weather conditions will continue to challenge firefighters with high temperatures, low humidity, and higher winds anticipated this week.
EVACUATIONS ORDERED IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS:
Minnehaha, Fort Misery, and Horse Thief Basin are evacuated; however, Crown King remains at SET. Residents should begin preparing in the event an evacuation order is issued. Crown King is closed to non-residents. More information on READY-SET-GO: https://ein.az.gov/ready-set-go
EMERGENCY NOTIFICATIONS
Area residents should sign up with the Yavapai County Emergency Notification System - Code Red to receive any emergency alerts.
ROAD CLOSURES
All Prescott National Forest lands, roads, and trails south of NFSR94 (along NFSR82A to the junction of NFSR52), and south to the junction of CR177 east are closed, including Senator Hwy (FR 52) between Hooper Saddle (FR 362) and Crown King (FR 259). Additionally, the area of Cow Tank road, that leads to FR 711 near Lake Pleasant is closed. People should not travel into any of the fire area.
PUBLIC LAND CLOSURES
There is a Public Safety Closure on the Prescott National Forest currently.
There is also a Public Land Closure on the BLM Phoenix District within the Hassayampa Field Office.
Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. Every time a drone is seen near the fire, all aircraft are grounded until we can be sure the drone is clear of the area. For more information visit Know Before You Fly, http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.
Public Information Phone line (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.): 928-228-0720
Media Information Phone Line: 928-421-4579
InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7472/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TussockFireInfo
YCSO Phone Line: 928-771-3260
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.