Progress on the Cassadore Springs Fire   

Cassadore Springs Fire – August 8, 2020 Daily Update

Ko’ Ba Nagoni i’

Acres: 19,628 acres

Start Date: August 1, 2020

Cause: Lightning

Containment: 25%

Total personnel: 369

Location: 11 miles north of San Carlos, AZ

Fuels: Brush, grass, ponderosa pine

Overview: The lightning-caused Cassadore Springs Fire is burning in the Hilltop area on the San Carlos Apache Reservation lands. It was first discovered on August 1st and quickly spread to the northeast towards the Natanes Plateau. On Monday August 3rd, the San Carlos Agency delegated authority to the Southwest Area Type 2 Incident Management Team 4 to manage the incident.

Fire Activity and Operations: On Friday afternoon, firefighters conducted a large burnout operation on the northwestern portion of the fire off of the 1100 Road west towards Sawmill and south towards Hilltop. Burnouts are low intensity ground fires lit by firefighters from a control feature, such as a road. As a result of these operations, an increase in smoke production was seen from surrounding areas yesterday. The burnout is part of the “catcher’s mitt” discussed in yesterday’s update and is intended to stop the forward progress of the fire in timber country.

Crews working on the eastern edge of the fire made good progress yesterday and were able to secure the fire’s edge from the 1220 Road, across Sontag Creek, and down into the Blue River Fire burn scar. The potential still exists for fire to run up Sontag Creek, but the risk has been significantly reduced.

On the western flank, the fire is currently holding on the upper rim. If fire was to run down into the Alder Creek drainage, the potential exists for a strong push up the canyon. Helicopters are dropping water buckets in this area to cool the fire’s edge, as the terrain is too steep and hazardous to put ground crews into the canyon. Yesterday’s burnout operation will help to prevent negative impacts if fire becomes established in Alder Creek.

Weather: An Excessive Heat Warning is in effect Sunday through Monday for elevations below 3,700 ft. The weather forecast for next week will resemble June-like conditions rather than what we would typically see in the second week of August. The monsoon season continues to be a no-show. Temperatures will steadily increase through the weekend, peaking on Monday with forecast highs in the 90s on the rim and 105 to 110 in the valleys. These readings will approach or reach record levels Sunday into Tuesday. Afternoon humidity levels will also continue reaching lows not seen in the last 30 years for early to mid-August, very dry indeed!

Nowhi ni’ nłt’eego ánłsih
Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6913/
Cassadore Springs Fire Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CassadoreSpringsFireInfo/
San Carlos Apache Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SCATFORESTRY
Smoke Report: http://www.azdeq.gov/wildfireforecast?fire=cassadorespringsfire

 Firefighters will be conducting burnout operations this afternoon off of the 1100 Road. Burnouts rob the main fire of fuel by burning from an anchor point in a controlled manner.Expect to see an uptake of smoke from the Cassadore Springs Fire in the next few hours.

The daily operational video is now available in both English and Apache language on the Cassadore Springs Fire Facebook page.

English: https://www.facebook.com/CassadoreSpringsFireInfo/videos/1148432828856525
Apache: https://www.facebook.com/CassadoreSpringsFireInfo/videos/217853982933439

Building the Cassadore Springs Fire “Catcher’s Mitt”  

Cassadore Springs Fire – August 7, 2020 Daily Update

Ko’ Ba Nagoni i’         

Acres: 19,257 acres

Start Date: August 1, 2020

Cause: Lightning

Containment: 25%

Total personnel: 331

Location: 11 miles north of San Carlos, AZ

Fuels: Brush, grass, ponderosa pine

Overview: The lightning-caused Cassadore Springs Fire is burning in the Hilltop area on the San Carlos Apache Reservation lands. It was first discovered on August 1st and quickly spread to the northeast towards the Natanes Plateau. On Monday August 3rd, the San Carlos Agency delegated authority to the Southwest Area Type 2 Incident Management Team 4 to manage the incident.

Highlights: Several factors are contributing to increasingly complex conditions on the Cassadore Springs Fire. On a scale of 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest), the National Preparedness Level for wildland fire management is currently rated at 4. Preparedness Levels are dictated by fuel and weather conditions, fire activity, and fire suppression resource availability throughout the country. In Arizona, the National Weather Service is reporting this year as the least active monsoon season in 30 years, with no significant changes in sight. Lastly, Energy Release Components (ERCs) are currently at or above record highs for August. ERCs are a measure of the potential available energy in the flaming front of the fire, so the higher the ERC, the more intensely fires can burn.

Fire Activity and Operations: On Wednesday night, crews began burning out fuels from the 1100 Road south to the fire’s edge to create a buffer to the north of the fire and limit forward spread. This action creates a control line ahead of the fire’s path that is similar to the shape of a catcher’s mitt. Yesterday, these efforts were challenged when the relative humidity dropped below 13% in the afternoon and the fire pushed against those lines, eventually spotting across the line in one area. Engine crews were able to catch the spot fire and hold the line while air tankers and Type 1 helicopters provided support with retardant and water drops. At this point, firefighters have been successful in keeping fire from becoming established in Alder Creek.

On the eastern flank, crews are working to keep fire from entering the Sontag Creek drainage. If fire enters this area, it has the potential to produce flames 10 to 20 feet high. Fire crews are building control lines down the fire’s edge from the 1220 Road while others work north from the Blue River Fire scar. Air tankers are supporting this operation by applying retardant drops to keep the fire edge cool enough for ground crews to work. Fire managers are showing 25% containment along the southern end of the Cassadore Springs Fire. Crews are scouting contingency lines to hold the fire within a larger area if the primary and alternate plans are tested.

Nowhi ni’ nłt’eego ánłsih

Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6913/

Cassadore Springs Fire Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CassadoreSpringsFireInfo/

San Carlos Apache Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SCATFORESTRY

Smoke Report: http://www.azdeq.gov/wildfireforecast?fire=cassadorespringsfire

 Recording of the virtual community meeting August 5, 2020.
https://www.facebook.com/CassadoreSpringsFireInfo/videos/651609008775512/

 The daily operational video is now available on the Cassadore Springs Fire Facebook page in both English and Apache 
https://www.facebook.com/CassadoreSpringsFireInfo/videos/290569678710058/
https://www.facebook.com/CassadoreSpringsFireInfo/videos/219494979387279/ 

Cassadore Springs Fire Threatens Sontag and Alder Creeks

Cassadore Springs Fire – August 6, 2020 Daily Update

Ko’ Ba Nagoni i’         

Acres: 18,387 acres

Start Date: August 1, 2020

Cause: Lightning

Containment: 15%

Total personnel: 269

Location: 11 miles north of San Carlos, AZ

Fuels: Brush, grass, ponderosa pine

Fire Activity: The lightning-caused Cassadore Springs Fire is burning in the Hilltop area on the San Carlos Apache Reservation lands. On Tuesday the fire grew by approximately 3,000 acres to the east in steep rugged country above Mud Springs and across the 1220 Road. It is also established in steep terrain near Alder Creek to the west and now has potential to run up the canyon. Yesterday, fire behavior was moderated to the north as it reached the canyon tops and moved into flatter ground with heavier fuels. Growth on Wednesday was again mostly to the east towards the Sontag Creek drainage. The southern side of the fire is less active and is currently being held at the Blue River Fire scar and the 1120 Road. The incident management team is reporting 15% containment in that area.

Operations: Into the night on Wednesday, firefighters took advantage of less active fire behavior and conducted burnout operations along the 1183 and 1177 Roads in an attempt to stop the fire’s progress toward the heavy timber to the north. Crews will take advantage of that anchor point today, building fireline and burning out to build a “catcher’s mitt” ahead of the north end of the fire. Air tankers and helicopters applied retardant and water on the steep canyons to the east in attempt to keep the fire out of the Sontag Creek drainage. If fire reaches the creek, it has the potential to run up that drainage to the top of the rim.  The incident management team has received some additional resources to support this full suppression operation, bringing the total personnel to approximately 270 people. Crews are operating in small groups and dispersed into isolated camps to provide the firefighters better social distancing. There is no traditional fire camp to prevent large group gatherings. The safety of the public and the wildland fire responders is the number one priority for this incident.

Weather: Hot and dry conditions will continue today. High temperatures will peak in the 92 to 102 range across the fire area with relative humidity levels dropping as low as 12 to 15 percent. The southwest breeze will be just a bit stronger with peak gusts around 30 mph. Once again, thunderstorm activity is expected south and east of the fire, with minimal threat in the evening from storm outflows pushing north across the fire area. As we move into the weekend, conditions will remain dry with lighter winds, however temperatures will rise a bit higher, running about 10 degrees warmer than normal. For information on smoke impacting your area, please visit http://www.azdeq.gov/wildfireforecast?fire=cassadorespringsfire.   

Nowhi ni’ nłt’eego ánłsih

Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6913/

Cassadore Springs Fire Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CassadoreSpringsFireInfo/

The daily operational video is now available in both English and Apache language on the Cassadore Springs Fire Facebook page.

English: https://www.facebook.com/CassadoreSpringsFireInfo/videos/303294537787151
Apache: https://www.facebook.com/CassadoreSpringsFireInfo/videos/763976781007797 

Media & Public Information Contact
Email: 2020.CassadoreSprings@firenet.gov
Phone: 928-487-0798
Hours: 8 A.M. – 8 P.M.  

Virtual Community Meeting for the Cassadore Springs Fire Tonight
Cassadore Springs Fire – August 5, 2020 Daily Update
Ko’ Ba Nagoni i’

Acres: 16,856 acres
Start Date: August 1, 2020
Cause: Lightning
Containment: 0%
Total personnel: 218
Location: 11 miles north of San Carlos, AZ
Fuels: Brush and grass

Highlights: The Southwest Area Incident Management Team 4 will host a virtual community meeting tonight at 8:00 P.M. at https://facebook.com/CassadoreSpringsFireInfo/. An American Sign Language interpreter and CART captioning will be provided. A recording will be posted following the meeting. No account is required to view the video. If a pop-up box appears when you first navigate to the link, you can use the scroll bar on the right to scroll down to the view and/or click “not now” to minimize the login pop-up. We will monitor online Facebook questions during the meeting, or you can email us your questions in advance at 2020.CassadoreSprings@firenet.gov.  

Fire Activity: The lightning-caused Cassadore Springs Fire is burning in the Hilltop area, northwest of the scar from the Blue River Fire that burned in June 2020 on the San Carlos Apache Reservation lands. The fire is burning aggressively to the northeast in grass and brush in rugged, steep country towards commercial timber stands and the Hilltop Lookout.   

Operations: Efforts to contain the fast-moving northeastern edge of the fire were abandoned as flames spread across control lines yesterday.  Engines, crews, and dozers are attempting to hold the fire south of the 1100 road by building fireline along the fire’s flanks toward the north and east. Orders for additional resources have not yet been filled due to competition from multiple fires burning throughout the western states.  

Weather: Today will be another hotter and drier than normal day with high temperatures peaking in the 90s across the fire area and relative humidity levels dropping as low as 13 to 15 percent, quite low for early August. It will be a bit breezy once again this afternoon with southwest winds peaking around 15 mph with gusts to 25 mph. Thunderstorm activity is expected well south and east of the fire, however an outflow from one of those storms could push north across the fire area during the evening hours. For information on smoke impacting your area, please visit http://www.azdeq.gov/wildfireforecast?fire=cassadorespringsfire.

Closures: There is a temporary flight restriction over the fire area. The public is encouraged to stay safely clear of the area that is currently closed to protect firefighter and public safety. The 1120 road to the south, 1122 road to the west, 1300 road to the north, and 1220 road to the east are closed due to fire activity and firefighters working along these roadways.

Ko’ doo bena golde’ da

Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6913/
Cassadore Springs Fire Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CassadoreSpringsFireInfo/
San Carlos Apache Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SCATFORESTRY

Join fire managers for an online community meeting tonight August 5, at 8:00 p.m. 

An American Sign Language interpreter and captioning will be provided. A recording will be posted following the meeting. No account is required to view the video. If a pop-up box appears when you first navigate to the link, you can use the scroll bar on the right to scroll down to the view and/or click “not now” to minimize the login pop-up.  https://www.facebook.com/CassadoreSpringsFireInfo/

We will monitor online Facebook questions during the meeting or you can e-mail us your questions in advance at 2020.cassadoresprings@firenet.gov

We will try to answer as many questions as we can. 
A recording of the informational meeting will be available on the Facebook page for later viewing.