Turkeys get reprieve thanks to Tanner Fire

Pleasant Valley Ranger District fire specialists are managing the lightning-caused Tanner wildfire about 19 miles south of Young, Ariz., which began on August 20 near the peak of Armer Mountain in the Sierra Anchas. The size of the fire is about 6,000 acres, and is 30 percent contained.

Today, crews continued to monitor and conduct burn-out operations in the Workman Creek area as the fire backed down, and constructed direct fire line on Carr Mountain.

Hwy. 288 continues to be temporarily closed from McFadden (milepost 290) south to the A-Cross Road (milepost 270) and will remain closed at least through the weekend. Crews continue to work on removing fallen trees and hazardous limbs to secure Highway 288 for safe vehicle passage.

Arizona Game and Fish officials say about 550 tags have been issued for the General Season Turkey Hunt which kicks off Fri., Sep. 30. The closure of this portion of Hwy. 288 will affect access to the southern part of Game Management Unit 23 and hunters and others who use this road to travel to the Mogollon Rim are advised to prepare alternate travel plans during the road closure. Access to the northern part of Unit 23 is still open on Hwy. 288 south from Highway 260 to McFadden. For questions or information about hunts in this area, contact the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Mesa regional office at (480) 981-9400.

For further information about the fire, visit http://www.inciweb.org/incident/2705/ or www.fs.usda.gov/Tonto. For more information about the road closure, visit the Arizona Department of Transportation’s travel information site at www.az511.gov or call 5-1-1 from within Arizona, or contact the Gila County Sheriff’s Office at (928) 474-2208 and press 3.

For district information, call the Pleasant Valley Ranger District offices at 928-462-4300. To report a wildland fire, the fire emergency number is 866-746-6516, or dial 9-1-1.