Doce 10% contained; Burnout underway

Doce Fire Update

Friday June 21, 2013, 8:00 a.m.

11:30 a.m. UPDATE

Fire managers are planning to conduct burnout operations this afternoon into this evening west of Granite Park Ranch in Mint Creek Wash. Residents in the Granite Park Ranch and Levi Estates areas will likely see the fire activity, and this information will be disseminated to those residents via the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office reverse 911 system. It is not an evacuation notice.

Burnout operations will help create a buffer between the community and the fire.

Fire Information: 928-445-1089; 928-445-1269

Fire Information Center Hours: 8:00 am to 8:00 pm

Website: www.inciweb.org/incident/3437

Follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/docefire and Twitter www.twitter.com/docefire.

Photos and maps can be viewed and downloaded at www.flickr.com/docefire.

Fire Facts: 

Location: 7 miles northwest of Prescott: burning in Granite Mountain Wilderness

Size:  6,732 acres (increase of 350 acres due to burnout last night.)

Percent Contained:  10%

Cause: Human, under investigation.

Number of Resources: 605 personnel including: 21 hand crews, 27 engines, 11 water tenders, 1 dozer, and 4 helicopters

Injuries to Date: 0

Estimated Cost to Date: $2,241,896 million primarily due to aviation assets in use 

General Announcements:

Iron Springs Road is now open to all traffic. Evacuations were ordered for the northern portion of the Mint Creek Valley subdivision. All subdivisions east of Williamson Valley Road have not been evacuated but remain on notice for potential evacuation.

Yavapai County Fire Information line (928-777-7552) will be deactivated Friday, June 21 at 6:00 pm. Fire information will continue to be available from the Southwest Area Incident Management Team via the two phone numbers listed at the top of this update.

Fire managers will be closely monitoring weather conditions over the next several days as projected forecasts are expected to continue to be hot, dry, and windy.

Today’s Activities: Firefighters are making good progress around the entire fire, constructing line directly up against or at a safe distance from the fire’s edge. Crews have secured the heel of the fire on the southwestern edge and have established dozer line on the north and northwestern flank.  Last night, crews conducted burnout operations to help keep fire behavior from becoming established in ridges that align with the winds.

Today, firefighters will continue structure protection in all evacuated subdivisions, continue line construction, and prepping lines for burnout operations. 

Today will be hot dry, and windy again. Crews are anticipating fire behavior to increase in the afternoon. 

Evacuations:

Granite Basin Homes, Black Jack, Camp Anytown, Sundown Acres, Cielo Grande, Old Stage Acres, Mint Creek Wash to the north at Cielo Grande (Dome Road), and American Ranch remain evacuated. Neighborhoods in the Williamson Valley corridor are on notice for potential evacuation.

Road Closures:

Iron Springs Road is now open to all traffic. Williamson Valley Road east of the fire between Pioneer Parkway and Outer Loop Road remains closed to the public. Residents from neighborhoods north of the intersection of Williamson Valley and Outer Loop Road should plan additional travel around the road closure areas.

Fire Closure Update:  The entire area of the Doce Fire is closed to public access. 

Prescott National Forest 

 to Implement Area Closure

for Doce Fire area

ARIZONA (June 20, 2013) – In support of the efforts to contain the Doce Fire, the Prescott National Forest is implementing an area closure in and around the fire area.  A map of the closed area is posted on the Prescott National Forest website www.fs.usda.gov/prescott.

Because public and firefighter safety is our top priority, limiting access and activity in the area around the fire will reduce traffic congestion for the many vehicles driving in and around the fire.  Smoke can limit visibility and less traffic can mean a safer area to work. Access to private land by landowners within the larger area will continue to be available unless the area has been evacuated.

Both the fire and the actions to contain it have had some disrupting impacts on the vegetation and the soils in the areas, making them potentially unstable.  Trees burned by the fire could be blown down by strong winds, blocking roads or trails. Loss of vegetation makes the bare soil susceptible to movement with the upcoming monsoon rain events, which could also make roads or trails unsafe to navigate. Rocks and logs that were held in place by vegetation or other vegetative matter may have been loosened and may roll down to roads or trails.

All of these possibilities could create unsafe situations on both roads and trails for forest visitors.  The area closure will remain in effect until conditions can be assesses and unsafe conditions corrected.

Also, the Prescott National Forest is in Stage II Fire Restrictions. Please visit the websites listed below for additional information regarding fire restriction information.

Know Before You Go! The public can obtain additional fire information via the following:

• Prescott NF Website www.fs.usda.gov/prescott  
• Arizona Fire Restrictions http://firerestrictions.us/az/
• Arizona Fire Prevention & Information (fire restrictions & red flag alerts) http://wildlandfire.az.gov/
• Fire Restrictions on Public Lands in Arizona and New Mexico 1-877-864-

Individuals who may have seen suspicious activity related to the Doce Fire are asked to contact Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations at (928) 527-3508 or 3509.