The Arizona Central West Zone Incident Management Team will transfer management of the fire to a local Tonto National Forest Type IV Incident Management Team tonight at 6 p.m.

326 firefighters are still working the fire.  The fire area is still closed to the public, with local access to private driveways allowed for residents only.  Houston Mesa Road is closed between Beaver Valley and Whispering Pines.   Whispering Pines is only accessible by the Control Road.

For more information, contact the Payson Ranger District at (928) 474-7900.

Type-1 Helicopter at Payson Airport (Patrick Walker/NAZ Today)

UPDATE:  Beaver Valley residents have been allowed to return to their homes, and Whispering Pines residents will be allowed to return to their homes at 5 pm. Fire behavior is minimal, with crews focusing on mop-up operations.  Fire officials are saying that the focus will soon shift to localized flooding, with the remnants of Hurricane Jimena expected to impact the area over the weekend.  Resources are being released from the fire as the day continues.

PAYSON– Fire crews continued burnouts along the southern and eastern part of the Water Wheel Fire Monday, but according to the latest numbers from the Southwest Coordination Center’s 8:30 am briefing, the fire has still managed about a 50% gain in size to 773 acres.

Crews are reporting the most active fire behavior along the northern and northeastern parts of the fire, with Whispering Pines being to the north being the main concern.  The difficulty of the terrain and the step fuels into the pine trees have required a Type-1 Hot Shot crew to begin work on the fire.

Firefighters are scouting the western side of the fire for a place to establish a line.  Low-intensity fire behavior has been reported for much of the fire, but the northern edge of the fire is still burning intensely.  Whispering Pines remains evacuated.

Six hot shot crews are fighting the fire; one of them a Type-1 crew.  293 total personnel are assigned to the fire, along with three helicopters and 19 fire engines.  700 structures are listed as threatened.

Today’s weather calls for a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms over the area.  Winds will be from the northeast at 5-10 miles per hour, gusting to 20 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.  Locally gusty outflow winds are possible from thunderstorms that do develop over the area.

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.

Spotter helicopter lands at Payson Airport (Patrick Walker/NAZ Today)

PAYSON– An evacuation order remains in effect for residents of Whispering Pines and for the Water Wheel Campground eight miles northeast of Payson this morning.  Officials still list the fire at  0% contained.  The Water Wheel Fire started near the Water Wheel Campground and was reported just before 2:00 pm Sunday afternoon..  The fire grew to 500 acres by 9:30 pm Sunday night.  The Red Cross and the Town of Payson set up the evacuation center at 4:30 pm Sunday afternoon at the Payson High School auxiliary gymnasium, according to Payson Police Chief Don Engler.  65 people checked into the evacuation center as of 7:30 pm.  “We’ll have a few officers around the gym here, in case anyone decides to stay tonight,” Engler said.  He says most people will likely stay with friends or in local hotels, but they are prepared nonetheless.

Local fire crews and police officers from towns around northern Gila County are still on the front lines at this hour, until relief arrives sometime this morning.  “We called in almost all of our volunteer force (to help with traffic control and closures) and several additional officers to help with the effort,” Chief Engler mentioned.  The Payson Fire Department has also called in several off-duty firefighters to cover for the engine companies that are out fighting the fire.

Message sign instructs evacuees to Payson HIgh School. (Patrick Walker/NAZ Today)

Payson Police Lieutenant Donnie Garvin was one of the off duty officers called in to man the check points along Houston Mesa Road, which is closed to traffic at Freedom Acres, just over two miles from Water Wheel Campground, where the fire started.  “This is as far as anyone can come, unless they’re helping with the fire,” said Garvin.  “Freedom Acres is as close as you can get.”

Smoke settled in for the night over much of northern Gila County, including Pine, Strawberry, and Payson.  The size of the fire was listed at around 150 acres as of 5:30 pm Sunday, burning mostly in Ponderosa Pine trees.  Crews managed to get “two or three” slurry drops on the fire before dark Sunday, according to Chief Engler.  The cause of the fire is still listed as unknown.

A Type-2 Incident Management Team has been requested to assist with suppression efforts.  Two heavy air tankers, one helicopter, and 15 engines are currently on scene fighting the fire.

NAZ Today is actively tracking this fire– check back often for updates.

Police turn residents around at Freedom Acres (Patrick Walker/NAZ Today)