Location:  Approximately 1-mile northeast of Cub Mountain, near the West Fork of the Gila River, Wilderness Ranger District, Gila National Forest.                                   

Start Date:  June 28, 2020                  Cause:  Lightning                    Size:  ~4,365 acres

Vegetation:  grass, brush, and multiple snags

Strategy/Summary: The Cub Fire is burning on National Forest System lands on the Wilderness Ranger District, Gila National Forest. The fire continues with progression on the south and east sections for the fire. The fire behavior is observed as a low intensity creeping surface fire. The fire has reached the West fork of the Gila River on its northern edge and its forward progression has stopped there.

Weather: Wind will remain about 10-15 mph with a possibility of increased moisture east of the Continental Divide. Storm chances will decrease by midweek and predicted weather will be very hot and dry. Temperatures are predicted to reach nearly 10 degrees above normal by Friday. 

For information on the Gila National Forest, check out our website at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/gila or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

  Cub Fire Update for July 4, 2020 

Location:  Approximately 1-mile northeast of Cub Mountain, near the West Fork of the Gila River, Wilderness Ranger District, Gila National Forest.                                    

Start Date:  June 28, 2020                  Cause:  Lightning                    Size:  ~2,232 acres

Vegetation:  grass, brush, and multiple snags

Strategy/Summary: The Cub Fire is burning on National Forest System lands on the Wilderness Ranger District, Gila National Forest. The only forward progression on the fire is on the south and east sections for the fire. The fire behavior is observed as a low intensity creeping surface fire. The fire has backed down into the west fork of the Gila River on its northern edge.

Weather: Warm and dry conditions are predicted for the fire area. Minimum relative humidity will be in the teens along and west of the river while 20s are expected east on Saturday. Relative humidity will fall into the teen’s area wide for the lowlands Sunday. Winds will be generally in the 5-15 mph range.

Order Number: 0408-20-05
UNITED STATES  DEPARTMENT  Of  AGRICULTURE FOREST SERVICE
FISHLAKE   NATIONAL  FOREST
FILLMORE  RANGER  DISTRICT

Canal Fire Area, Road and Trail Closure

PROHIBITIONS:

Pursuant to Title 36 CFR 261.50(b) the following acts are prohibited in the area, on the roads  and sections of roads and the trail described  in  this Order, all within  the Fillmore Ranger   District.  Fishlake National  Forest. 1.     Being in the area, 36 CFR 261.52(e)
2.     Being on  the road, 36 CFR 261.54(e). 3.     Being on the trail, 36 CFR 261.55(a)

EXEMPTIONS:

Pursuant to 36 CFR 261.50 (e) the following persons are exempt  from this order: 1.   Persons with a permit specifically exempting them from the effect of this Order. 2.   Any  Federal, State, or local officer, or member of an organized  rescue or fire fighting        force in the performance of an official duty. 3.   Federal or State administrative personnel in the performance of an official duty. 4.   Owners or lessees of land in the area closure with an incident escort approved by the        Forest Service.
AREA DESCRIPTION:
 
The closed area is depicted on the attached  map which  is incorporated  herein, and  is within the  National  Forest boundary • NORTHERN  BOUNDARY:  National  Forest System lands south of Forest Road 086 Leamington   Pass Road. From the westerly junction of the forest boundary, to the easterly junction of the  forest boundary. • EASTERN  BOUNDARY:  National  Forest System lands west of the forest boundary from Forest Road  086 Leamington  Pass South along the forest boundary to forest road 087 Wide Canyon. Then following  the county line south to Forest Trail 003 Oak Creek Canyon. • SOUTHERN  BOUNDARY: National Forest System lands north ofForest Road 089 Oak Creek. From the  westerly junction of the forest boundary to the easterly junction of Forest Trail 003.  Then from  Forest Trail 033 to the county line • WESTERN BOUNDARY: National  Forest System lands east of the forest boundary. From the  northerly junction of Forest Road 086 Leamington  Pass to the southerly junction of Forest Road  089 Oak Creek.
ROAD DESCRIPTION Forest Road 2628: entire length
Forest Road 710: entire length
Forest Road 426: entire length 
Forest Road 432: entire length
Forest Road 874: entire length
Forest Road 087: entire length
Forest Road 1652: entire length
Forest Road 445: entire length
Forest Road 421: entire length
Forest Road 088: entire length
Forest Road 1815: entire length
Forest Road 906: entire length
Forest Road 904: entire length
Forest Road 420: entire length
Forest Road 390: entire length
Forest Road 089: entire length
Forest Road 1653: entire length
TRAIL DESCRIPTION:
Forest Trail 00 I: entire length
Forest Trail 077: entire length
Forest Trail 087: entire length 
Forest Trail 402: entire length
Forest Trail 995: entire length
Forest Trail 931: entire length 
Forest Trail 400: entire length
Forest Trail 003: entire length
Forest Trail 299: entire length 
Forest Trail 401: entire length
Forest Trail 314: entire length
Forest Trail 313: entire length 
Forest Trail 312: entire length

PURPOSE:

To prevent potential injury to the public during fire operations in the described closure area.  To  provide for firefighter safety on the road and trails described during the wild land fire fighting  operation.
 
DEFINITION:

See the attached map for a visual representation.

IMPLEMENTATION: 1.  This Order will be in effect July 7th 0000 and shall remain in effect until 0000 hours August  1st, 2020 or until rescinded, whichever is earlier. 2.  Violation of the above prohibition(s) is punishable  by a fine of not more than $5,000.00 for  an individual  or $10,000.00 for an organization, and/or imprisonment for not more than six (6)  months. [Title 16 USC 551, Title 18 USC 3571(b) (6), Title 18 USC 3581 (b) (7)]. 3.  Further information  regarding this Order may be obtained at the Fillmore Ranger District  Office (435) 743-5721 and the Fishlake National  Forest Supervisors Office 435-896-9233.

Done at Richfield,  UT this  _6th_  day of July, 2020.
Mike T. Elson
Forest Supervisor Fishlake National Forest

July 6, 2020 at 8 a.m.

Inciweb Address: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6817/
Email: 2020.canal@firenet.gov
Start Date: June 26, 2020
Phone: 435-635-8738
Cause: Lightning
Acres: 78,065
Percent Contained: 93%
Personnel Assigned: 668


Current Status:
Firefighters continue to make progress toward full containment of the Canal Fire. Most crews have shifted from fighting fire to repairing the impacts of their suppression efforts; however, there is still a small piece of uncontained line on the southern edge of the fire in the rugged terrain on the north side of Fool Creek Peak.

Firefighters working on the southern edge of the fire will continue to build containment line today and extinguish hotspots to ensure the fire doesn’t reach Oak Creek Canyon. The fire is still about 3 miles north of the canyon. The canyon remains closed for the safety of firefighters and the public. In addition to their suppression efforts, crews in this area will also be involved in some repair work, including the installation of water bars along some containment lines to prevent future erosion.

On the west side of the fire, crews have finished repairing any fences that were cut during the suppression effort. Some firefighters will complete additional suppression repair work today. Others will patrol the fire line, searching for hotspots further inside the perimeter to extinguish them. The same process will take place on the east side of the fire as well, where crews will repair the dozer lines used to stop the fire’s spread while also looking for hotspots and putting them out.

Weather:
Monday will be the hottest day so far for firefighters on the line. Temperatures could reach up to 100 degrees, relative humidity is expected to be in the single digits, and wind gusts could reach up to 25 mph. These conditions are expected to repeat themselves for the next several days, ushering in a period of Red Flag or near-Red Flag conditions. Due to the potential for new starts and rapid fire growth, most firefighters assigned to the Canal Fire, including the leadership of Great Basin Team 3, plan to remain in place through the next several days.

Closures:
The Fishlake National Forest has closed Oak Creek Canyon Road and the campground on the Fillmore Ranger District for public and firefighter safety through July 15. Fool Creek Canyon Road and Leamington Pass are also closed for public and firefighter safety. Please call 435-635-8738 for more information about the closure.

Temporary Flight Restriction:
A temporary flight restriction (TFR) has been implemented over the fire area – which means recreational drones and private aircraft cannot fly over the fire. The TFR can be found here: https://bit.ly/Canal_Fire_TFR. Please remember, if you fly, we can’t.

This will be the last update from Team 3 for the Canal Fire, barring any unforeseen changes in fire activity. For information about the fire after today, please contact your local land management agency. We truly appreciate the community’s support during our time here.

July 5, 2020 at 8 a.m.
Inciweb Address: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6817/                       
Email: 2020.canal@firenet.gov  
Start Date: June 26, 2020                                                                       
Phone: 435-635-8738
Cause: Lightning                                                                                     
Acres: 78,005                                                      
Percent Contained: 83%                                                                        
Personnel Assigned: 633

Current Status:
The size of the Canal Fire increased slightly on Saturday due to minimal fire growth and more accurate mapping performed overnight by an infrared flight.

Firefighters put in another solid day of work Saturday, continuing to secure containment lines. The only uncontained edge of the fire is a small section of rocky, rough terrain on the north side of Fool Creek Peak. Crews in this area will continue to put in line today, working to stop the fire from moving any further south toward Oak Creek Canyon.

At present, the fire is still about 3 miles north of the Oak Creek Canyon. The chipping operation in the canyon is complete; however, the canyon remains closed for the safety of firefighters and the public. Elsewhere on the fire, full containment has been achieved.

Today crews will work to reinforce the lines they’ve built. They are continuing to use infrared data collected during an overnight flight to find and put out hotspots inside the fire perimeter. This work – known as “mop up” – is hot, dirty and difficult, but it is critical to ensuring that the fire doesn’t spread beyond the current lines. Firefighters are transitioning from suppression to repair as containment increases. They will be covering dozer lines to make them look less obvious, chipping brush and limbs cut down during the suppression efforts, and repairing fences that were cut during the suppression effort. This work is expected to take a few more days to ensure that it meets the standards set by the resource advisors from the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands.

Weather: Sunday’s weather will be a repeat of Saturday’s weather with highs in the 90s and gusty. Starting Monday, the forecast calls for five consecutive days of Red Flag or near-Red Flag conditions in the area. The firefighters assigned to the Canal Fire will remain in place through the end of the Red Flag period.

Closures: The Fishlake National Forest has closed Oak Creek Canyon Road and the campground on the Fillmore Ranger District for public and firefighter safety through July 15. Fool Creek Canyon Road and Leamington Pass are also closed for public and firefighter safety. Please call 435-635-8738 for more information about the closure.
 
Temporary Flight Restriction: A temporary flight restriction (TFR) has been implemented over the fire area – which means recreational drones and private aircraft cannot fly over the fire. The TFR can be found here: https://bit.ly/Canal_Fire_TFR. Please remember, if you fly, we can’t

July 4, 2020 at 9 a.m.

Inciweb Address: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6817/        Email: 2020.canal@firenet.gov

Start Date: June 26, 2020                                                                              Phone: 435-635-8738
  
Cause: Lightning                                                                                                Acres: 76,738

Percent Contained: 75%                                                                                Personnel Assigned: 633

Current Status:
The size of the Canal Fire decreased slightly overnight from 76,773 acres to 76,738 acres due to more accurate mapping performed by an infrared flight.

Firefighters had an outstanding day on the line Friday, securing containment lines around three quarters of the fire. Today, they will reinforce the lines they’ve built as they mop up the edges of the fire that have been declared contained. Crews are using the map created by the overnight infrared flight to identify and extinguish hotspots inside the lines they’ve built around the fire.

On the southern end of the fire, additional ground crews will join the effort to build containment lines at the head of Fool Creek Canyon with help from aircraft. The terrain in this area is steep and rugged in some places. At this time, the fire has not reached Buck Peak and is still about 3 miles north of Oak Creek Canyon. Firefighters are committed to protecting the canyon and are making every effort to stop the fire from reaching it.

Crews made excellent progress on the northwest edge of the fire in the Gilson Range north of Leamington, adding and securing more containment line. There is a small section of uncontained fire line in the Champlin Peak area, which has steep, rocky cliffs. Firefighters, aided by aircraft, are working at the top and bottom of the cliffs to build containment line where they can and put out hotspots.

As containment continues to grow, crews will begin the process of “suppression repair.” This includes chipping brush and limbs cut down during the construction of contingency lines, rehabilitating dozer lines and hand lines in areas where the fire is controlled, and recording the locations of damaged fence lines. Firefighters will work closely with resource advisors from the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands to ensure that the work meets the standards set by each agency.

Weather:
The weather is expected to remain warm and dry with gusty winds for the next two days. Starting Monday, the forecast calls for five consecutive days of Red Flag conditions in the area. If the forecast proves true, this will provide a test for the containment lines.

Closures:
The Fishlake National Forest has closed Oak Creek Canyon Road and the campground on the Fillmore Ranger District for public and firefighter safety through July 15. Fool Creek Canyon Road and Leamington Pass are also closed for public and firefighter safety. Please call 435-635-8738 for more information about the closure.

Temporary Flight Restriction:
A temporary flight restriction (TFR) has been implemented over the fire area – which means recreational drones and private aircraft cannot fly over the fire. The TFR can be found here: https://bit.ly/Canal_Fire_TFR. Please remember, if you fly, we can’t. 

July 3, 2020 at 9 a.m.

Inciweb Address: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6817/                     Email: 2020.canal@firenet.gov

Start Date: June 26, 2020                                                                     Phone: 435-635-8738

Cause: Lightning                                                                                  Acres: 76,647    

Percent Contained: 45%                                                                     Personnel Assigned: 560

Current Status: The acreage of the Canal Fire increased from 70,567 to 76,647 overnight due to a successful firing operation on the Juab County side of the fire and more accurate mapping performed by an infrared flight.

Crews tried all day, but strong winds and record dry fuels combined Thursday to create fire activity that was too intense for firefighters to continue their direct attack on the southeast edge of the fire. They had to retreat to a contingency line built by dozers east of the fire and to Morning Dove Spring Road and Wide Canyon Spring Road. From there, they conducted a successful burnout operation that stopped the fire at the contingency lines. Today they will work to hold those lines and seek opportunities to reengage in a direct attack with support from aircraft.

Numerous retardant drops took place throughout the day Thursday on the south end of the fire to slow its progress and help ground crews make a direct attack. Crews will work today with air support to stop the fire from reaching Buck Peak as part of their continuing effort to halt the fire’s progress toward Oak Creek Canyon. Firefighters will also continue to chip the limbs and brush they cut down during construction of the contingency line along Oak Creek Canyon Road.

Firefighters contained the southwestern flank of the Canal Fire west of state Road 125 and east of Lynndyl on Thursday. Most crews from this part of the fire will be reassigned today to other areas of the fire, where they’ll build and reinforce containment lines. Crews in this remaining in the area will monitor containment lines and reinforce them as needed.

Crews continue to make good progress on the northwest edge of the fire in the Gilson Range north of Leamington, adding and securing more containment line. This work will continue today.

Firefighters will steer clear of Oak City Park on Saturday, July 4, to allow residents to hold their Independence Day celebrations without interference.

Weather: A Red Flag Warning is in effect Friday due to a forecast that calls for dry thunderstorms that could produce wind gusts in excess of 45 mph. There is also a possibility of lightning associated with the storms. These conditions, coupled with already dry fuels, could lead to spot fires and new starts.

Closures: The Fishlake National Forest has closed Oak Creek Canyon Road and the campground on the Fillmore Ranger District for public and firefighter safety through July 15. Fool Creek Canyon Road and Leamington Pass are also closed for public and firefighter safety. Please call 435-635-8738 for more information about the closure.

Temporary Flight Restriction: A temporary flight restriction (TFR) has been implemented over the fire area – which means recreational drones and private aircraft cannot fly over the fire. The TFR can be found here: https://bit.ly/Canal_Fire_TFR. Please remember, if you fly, we can’t.

Canal Fire Update

July 2, 2020 at 9:30 a.m.

Inciweb Address: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6817/             Email: 2020.canal@firenet.gov

Start Date: June 26, 2020                                                                  Phone: 435-635-8738

Cause: Lightning                                                                                Acres: 70,443    

Percent Contained: 20%                                                                   Personnel Assigned: 576

Current Status: Firefighters continued to build containment lines Wednesday around all sides of the Canal Fire, with crews beginning to engage the fire directly in the rugged terrain in Fool Creek Canyon on the south end of the fire.

Initial work is complete on the contingency line in Oak Creek Canyon Road. Today firefighters will begin chipping the limbs and brush they cut down during construction of the contingency line. This will reduce the fuel load along the road. Again, the work done so far in Oak Creek Canyon is part of a contingency plan. Team 3 has no desire to conduct a firing operation in the canyon unless it becomes absolutely necessary.

Crews on the southwest flank of the fire, west of state Road 125 and east of Lynndyl, continue to build new containment lines and reinforce existing ones by putting out hotspots in a process known as “mop up.”

On Wednesday, 20 heli-rappellers were flown to the northwest flank of the fire, in the Gilson Range north of Leamington, to help crews there with construction of containment line. That work will continue today.

The east flank remains the most active part of the fire. Crews are working with hand tools, dozers, and aircraft to hold the fire north of Morning Dove Spring Road and Wide Canyon Spring Road.

Weather: Temperatures are expected to rise into the 90s and remain there for at least the next five days, further drying out vegetation. Meanwhile, today’s predicted wind speeds will fall just below the threshold for a Red Flag Warning. These conditions could lead to active fire behavior and rapid spread.

Closures: The Fishlake National Forest has closed Oak Creek Canyon Road and the campground on the Fillmore Ranger District for public and firefighter safety through July 15. Fool Creek Canyon Road and Leamington Pass are also closed for public and firefighter safety. Please call 435-743-5721 for more information about the closure.

Temporary Flight Restriction: A temporary flight restriction (TFR) has been implemented over the fire area – which means recreational drones and private aircraft cannot fly over the fire. The TFR can be found here: https://bit.ly/Canal_Fire_TFR. Please remember, if you fly, we can’t.

Canal Fire Update

July 1, 2020 at 10:30 a.m.

Inciweb Address: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6817/             Email: 2020.canal@firenet.gov

Start Date: June 26, 2020                                                                  Phone: 435-635-8738

Cause: Lightning                                                                                Acres: 69,176

Percent Contained: 20%                                                                   Personnel Assigned: 627

Current Status: A Red Flag Warning is in effect today for the Canal Fire due to a forecast that calls for high winds, warmer temperatures and dry conditions. Wind gusts are expected to reach up to 30 mph this afternoon, which brings the potential for fire growth.

The Canal Fire jumped containment lines on Sunday, June 26, when historic winds hit with speeds up to 50 mph, making it impossible for crews staffing the fire to stop it.

This morning, Great Basin Incident Management Team 3 took command of the fire. The team appreciates all the hard work done by local, state, and federal firefighters over the past several days. Team 3 will continue to work with its interagency partners at the local, state and federal level to safely and quickly suppress the fire.

Today, firefighters continue to build containment lines:

• on the southwest flank of the fire, west of state Road 125 and east of Lynndyl,

• on the northwest flank, north of Leamington and the Sevier River, and

• on the east flank, along the Sevier River.

Declaring a section of the fire “contained” does not mean it is out. It means firefighters believe they have stopped the fire from spreading based on the fuel type, terrain and weather conditions that exist at the time.

Firefighters continue to build a contingency line along Oak Creek Canyon Road on the southern end of the fire. This is a line of last resort, not the primary means of containing the fire. Helicopters have been making repeated water drops to slow the fire down. Firefighters are beginning to engage the fire in this area directly as conditions allow.

Team 3 is aware of the history of Oak Creek Canyon and is sensitive to the community’s concerns. Firefighters will explore all options for containment in this area before any firing operations take place in the canyon.

A TFR (Temporary Flight Restriction) has been implemented over the fire area – which means recreational drones and private aircraft cannot fly over the fire. The TFR can be found here: https://bit.ly/Canal_Fire_TFR. Please remember, if you fly, we can’t.