(September 1, 2009 – 1:25 p.m.) – Tonto National Forest officials announced today that certain key roads and several recreation sites in the vicinity of the Water Wheel Fire are closed in order to provide for public and firefighter safety during fire suppression activities associated with the fire.
Incident management team firefighting specialists have verified that the Water Wheel fire is now at 20 percent containment.
The closure area includes all National Forest System lands, roads and trails within the Little Diamond Rim area. These boundaries are:
· Forest Road (FR) 64 on the north
· FR 1170 on the west
· FR 1171 on the south to the East Verde
River, then directly east along the north
boundary of Freedom Acres subdivision (junction
of Township 111/2 North, Range 10 East,
Section 3 and Section 2)
· FR 199 on the east, including forest lands east of FR 199 as described:
The closure area east of FR 199 is marked by Beaver Valley Estates on the southern boundary to the Whispering Pines subdivision on the northern boundary, with the closure area including the following recreation sites: Water Wheel, First Crossing, Second Crossing, Third Crossing and Cold Spring recreation sites.
“These closures are needed to protect forest users, visitors, firefighters, structures and natural resources until firefighters are able to contain this fire,” said Tonto National Forest Deputy Fire Staff Officer Helen Graham. “Other areas of the Tonto National Forest remain open for recreation activity, including campsites and recreation sites throughout the forest and all the Salt River system lakes.”
“With the ongoing drought we are experiencing in our forest and the high number of visitors we expect during this major holiday weekend coming up, we continue to emphasize practicing extreme caution in all fire practices, such as making campfires. Make sure that campfires are absolutely out before departing your area.”
“Dead out,” emphasized Graham.
For further information regarding recreation sites and fire restrictions, please contact the Payson Ranger District at (928) 474-7900, or check online at www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto.
Useful Web sites:
Arizona Emergency Information Network: www.azein.gov
Arizona Fire News: http://www.publiclands.org/firenews/AZ.php
New Mexico Fire News: http://www.publiclands.org/firenews/NM.php
Incident Information System (nationwide): http://inciweb.org/
National Interagency Fire Center: www.nifc.gov
National Fire Plan: www.fireplan.gov
FireWise: www.firewise.org
National Incident Information Center: www.fs.fed.us/news/fire
Arizona Governor’s Forest Health Council: www.governor.state.az.us/FHC
(Source: Tonto National Forest)