Flagstaff, AZ – Fire specialists on the Peaks and Mormon Lake Districts continue to manage the Red and Raptor Fires to benefit forest natural resources. Benefits include re-introducing natural fire into the ecosystem, reducing the potential for catastrophic fire, maintaining and enhancing wildlife habitat, and recycling valuable nutrients back into the soil.
Raptor Fire 8 miles south of Mormon Lake, west of Forest Highway 3 (LakeMary Road).
Size: 85 acres.
Behavior: Low-intensity fire is consuming ponderosa pine debris along the forest floor. Some single-tree and group torching may occur. Generally slow growth, backing toward the southwest.
Fuels: The ground is laden with large logs, branches and other pine litter– fuels that could easily lead to severe fire behavior under hotter drier conditions.
Smoke: Smoke will be noticeable from Lake Mary, Mormon Lake, and along FH3.
Closures: FR91, portion of FR127, and FR765 will be temporarily closed to public use.
Crews will continue patrolling and monitoring the fire area, and may perform some firing operations to help maintain the low intensity and strengthen perimeters.
Red Fire 1 mile south of Red Mountain, 5 miles west of Highway 180.
Size: approximately 300 acres.
Behavior: moderate-high activity, moving easterly.
Fuels: Mixture of Ponderosa Pine and Pinyon/Juniper. Fire behavior is high in patches of beetle-killed Pinyon.
Smoke: Smoke from this and the nearby Wild Horse Fire on the Kaibab
National Forest is noticeable around Hwy 180 from Valle to Kendrick Park.
Closures: The Red Mountain area, including Red Mountain Trail will be temporarily closed due to fire operations.
Suppression activities will take place east of Forest Road 9023. Crews will employ other management strategies on the rest of the fire, including patrolling and monitoring the perimeter, and preparing for burnout operations. Crews plan to conduct evening burnout operations, during cooler conditions, to strengthen boundary lines between the fire and Red Mountain.
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