POCO FIRE UPDATE
Thursday, June 28
YOUNG,
Az. – Fire officials got an aerial view today of the 11,950 Poco Fire
northeast of Young, Arizona, and increased its containment to 80
percent
“Smoke
has dissipated from the town of Young, Payson, and the Mogollon Rim
communities. We are still seeing smoldering in the center of the deep
canyons within the Tonto
National Forest,” says Incident Commander Trainee Andy Mandell, Central
West Zone Interagency Type 3 Team.
All
around the perimeter, the Fort Apache Interagency Hot Shot crew and
Prescott National Forest Hot Shots gathered downed trees and limbs,
feeding
them into chippers to remove fuel. Much of this work takes place
adjacent to Forest Road 512 (Young Road) which reopened today. “We are
seeing residents traveling the road again and ranchers working cattle,
so we’re asking our firefighters and the public
to drive with considerable caution,” Mandell emphasizes.
Water
tenders and an aircraft were released from the fire today; the Central
West Zone Interagency Type 3 Team resources remaining on the fire
consist of three engine
and two hot shot crews, for a total of 100 personnel.
The
Poco Fire has not exceeded 11,950 acres. At the height of the
human-caused incident, 768 personnel were stationed in Young who
traveled
from Arizona, California, Indiana, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana, New
Mexico, Texas, Utah, Wyoming, and Wisconsin to protect central Arizona
communities. Six community meetings were held within eight days in the
towns of Young, Forest Lakes, Colcord, Heber, and
Payson and two Fire Camp tours conducted. Five firefighters were
injured; no structures were burned; estimated costs are $9 million.
For more information regarding forest recreation sites and fire restrictions, please
contact the Tonto National Forest at 602 225-5200, or check online at
www.fs.usda.gov/tonto.
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