July 2: Rain, Progress Allow Operations To Be Scaled Back At 2 Fires

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Firefighters fighting the Backbone Fire near Payson in late June 2021.

Recent rain and progress in containing two major wildfires that threatened several communities in Arizona's high country are allowing authorities to scale back operations in some areas.

The top-tier incident management team assigned to a fire that threatened Pine and Strawberry in east-central Arizona turned over command to local units on Thursday and a similar transition to a lower-tier team will take place Friday for a wildfire southwest of Flagstaff in northern Arizona.

The fire west of Pine and Strawberry was contained around 76% of its perimeter as of Wednesday while the one southwest of Flagstaff was at 89% containment as of Thursday.

Lightning started both fires and each has burned tens of thousands of acres.

Crews assigned to those fires were mopping up, patrolling and looking for remaining hot spots, officials said in separate statements.

Despite the progress, multiple other fires continued to burn around the state, mostly in remote areas, and authorities issued statements reminding the public that several national forests remained closed to the public due to continued fire danger and that fireworks posted a hazard amid the continuing drought.

June 28: Backbone Fire Now 43% Contained

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Crews work along U.S. 160 fighting the Backbone Fire on June 26, 2021.

The Backbone Fire is now 43% contained, fire officials said in a statement Monday morning.

In the communities of Hunt Ranch, Strawberry and Pine, residents are currently in "set" mode.

State Route 260 is still closed between Camp Verde and Route 87.

The lightning-caused blaze has burned nearly 41,000 acres since it started June 16. There are more than 630 personnel working the fire.

June 27: Competition For Firefighters And Resources

The Backbone Fire has grown to more than 40,000 acres, and is now 35% contained. The fire started nearly two weeks ago, and has forced closures of many surrounding forests and trails.

Fire Manager Jason Vallow says there is still competition for firefighters and resources, but that the crews fighting the Backbone Fire are working as quickly as possible.

"We want to make sure that we’re utilizing them to the best ability we can, to make sure that we’re getting the most work out of them, so we’re accelerating that timeline, as much as is practical, to get people back in their homes."

The evacuation order for Pine has been lifted, but the Gila County Sheriff’s Department says residents should be prepared to leave again if necessary.

Residents of Strawberry and Hunt Ranch were allowed to return to their homes at 4 p.m. Sunday.

The estimated containment date for the fire is July 15.

June 26: Backbone Fire Grows In Size, But Stays Within Containment Lines

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Backbone Fire burning operations north of Strawberry, Arizona, on State Route 87, June 21, 2021.

The Backbone Fire has grown to more than 40,000 acres, and is now 13% contained. The fire started nearly two weeks ago, and has forced closures of many surrounding forests and trails.

Fire Manager Jason Vallow says there is still competition for firefighters and resources, but that the crews fighting the Backbone Fire are working as quickly as possible.

“We wanna make sure that we’re utilizing them to the best ability we can, to make sure that we’re getting the most work out of them, so we’re accelerating that timeline, as much as is practical, to get people back in their homes,” said Vallow.

Evacuation orders for Pine and Strawberry are still in place, and some residents may not be back in their homes for several more days.

Firefighting crews expect smoldering fire behavior from Saturday into Sunday, meaning a slow spread. The estimated containment date for the fire is July 15.

June 22: Backbone Wildfire Continues To Grow; Multiple Communities Threatened

The Backbone Fire has grown to nearly 33,000 acres and is zero percent contained.

Jayson Coil with the emergency management team says several communities are threatened.

“There is a significant threat to the communities of Pine and Strawberry. And there is somewhat of an emerging threat to Camp Verde," Coil said.

More than 300 personnel are battling the blaze, which was caused by lightning. Estimated containment date is mid-July.

The Show also spoke with Celeste Prescott, a public information officer at the scene of the fire.

Hear Celeste Prescott's Interview With Host Lauren Gilger On The Show

June 20: Backbone Fire Sees Increased Activity Near Camp Verde

The Backbone Fire near Payson has grown to over 24,000 acres, forcing evacuations and closures in the area.

Overnight activity along the western side of the fire was visible from Camp Verde.

Celeste Prescott of the Backbone Fire Management Team says firefighters are focused on making sure the blaze doesn’t spread towards that community.

“We’re definitely really focusing on that northwest side, cause that’s where we’re seeing the majority of the growth. We’re also working on improving the lines that we’ve put in around Strawberry and Pine,” said Prescott.

Prescott says there are no current plans to evacuate Camp Verde, but the team will make recommendations to the county sheriff’s office if anything changes.

The fire has also caused closures in certain areas of the Tonto, Coconino and Prescott national forests.

June 19: Wildfire Forces Evacuations In Forest Northeast Of Phoenix

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The Backbone Fire near Strawberry on June 17, 2021.

The Backbone Fire grew to over 17,000 acres Saturday morning, amidst ongoing evacuations in the area.

Residents in the communities of Strawberry and Hunt Ranch near Payson have been ordered to evacuate.

Randi Shaffer from the Coconino National Forest says the fire is in a difficult location, making it harder to fight.

“The fire is in a pretty remote location in terms of terrain. The terrain is pretty extreme, the location as well. Access to the area is limited, so we had a hard time sending firefighters and hand crews,” said Shaffer.

Shaffer says most of the attempts to fight the fire have been done by air. 

The Backbone Fire is still 0% contained.

Some smaller fires have recently broken out in Apache National Forest in eastern Arizona, caused by lightning strikes in the area.

Extreme fire conditions, including high temperatures and dry conditions, are expected to continue throughout the weekend.

June 17: Small Wildfire Forces Evacuation Of Campers

A small wildfire near Strawberry has forced the evacuation of campers and the shutdown of a popular recreation area.

The fire started shortly before midnight Wednesday, about 12 miles west of Strawberry near a ridge named Ike's Backbone. It has burned about 150 acres around where Fossil Creek meets the Verde River.

The Coconino National Forest closed Fossil Creek, a popular spot for hiking and swimming, because of the wildfire.

Firefighters who had been working on another blaze that has nearly wrapped up in Cornville responded to the one near Strawberry. More resources were on the way Thursday, including aircraft, the Forest Service said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Several other wildfires are burning in Arizona amid of period of intense heat across the U.S. Southwest.

Residents of the largest wildfire that has burned nearly 259 square miles in Pinal and Gila counties are in various stages of evacuation.

Operations Section Chief Todd Abel said crews were focused Thursday on the southern end of the fire where it was advancing, partly because of wind gusts. Heat also has hampered firefighting efforts from the air, he said.

The so-called Telegraph Fire started June 4 and is 72% contained.

Another wildfire that started about a week later in the Santa Teresa Mountains in southern Arizona also has forced evacuations and the closure of federal land. The fire has burned 27 square miles and is 15% contained.