Water Wheel Fire smoke at 6 am (Patrick Walker/NAZ Today)
PAYSON– Firefighters made progress on the Water Wheel Fire Sunday night after conducting burnout operations and receiving some much-needed help. Tony Sciacca’s Arizona Central West Zone Type-2 Incident Management Team arrived at 10 PM Sunday evening, according to a spokesperson from the Tonto National Forest. The fire is still listed at 500 acres.
192 personnel are now fighting the fire. Crews conducted burnouts along the northern edge of the fire, “to provide an anchor point for the firefighters to work safely,” according to this morning’s news release. The fire is burning in Ponderosa Pine trees and in dense manzanita brush, which has created a hazard for firefighters attempting to fight the fire. Crews hope the burnout operations will clear some space and allow for firefighters to maneuver easier around the perimeter of the fire.
Fire crews will primarily focus on the southern and western flanks of the fire, as well as patrol for spot fires. Today’s forecast calls for temperatures in the upper 80′s and a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms, with southwesterly winds at 10-15 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service. Winds from any storms developing over the Mogollon Rim above the fire could produce locally gusty outflow winds.
Beaver Valley and Whispering Pines remain under evacuation orders today. A public meeting is scheduled for 6:30 pm this evening at the Payson High School Auxiliary Gymnasium (“The Old Gym”) to update residents on the fire.
Control Road closed at SR 87 (Patrick Walker/NAZ Today)
Several Forest Service roads remain closed in the area. FR 199 (Houston Mesa Road) is closed at several spots, starting at Freedom Acres. Also closed in several spots is the Control Road, FR 64, starting at State Route 87 just north of the Tonto Natural Bridge State Park turnoff.
Other resources assigned to the fire: five crews, 15 engines, three helicopters, two air tankers, one water tender.
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