Kaibab National Forest to further reduce North Kaibab area closure

The Kaibab National Forest is reducing the temporary forest closure on the North Kaibab Ranger Districts. Beginning Tues­day, August 19, western portions of the district will reopen to public access.

Kaibab area reopening maps via US Forest Service.

Fire behavior on Dragon Bravo has decreased, con­tainment has increased, and fire crews have shifted focus to suppression repair, allowing large areas of the National Forest to be reopened without compro­mising fire operations or public safety.

The new closure bound­ary connects a series of Na­tional Forest System Roads (NFSR) between the Jacob Lake area and Timp Point, including portions of NFSR 641, 462, 206, and 271. The boundary line was designed to maximize public access while providing for the safety of forest visitors and incident personnel. The bound­ary roads and the Na­tional Forest lands to the west will be open, including Timp Point, Rainbow Rim, Crazy Jug, Parissawampitts, Locust Point, Kanab Creek Wilderness, a portion of NFSR 22, and Jump-Up Cabin. Big Springs Cabin will remain temporarily closed due to ongoing incident operations. Information and up­dates on the cabins can be found at Recreation.gov.

National Forest lands north and west of Highway 89 will also be open, with the exception-specific roads that were heav­ily impacted by the White Sage Fire. These include portions of NFSRs 279A, 636,247, 248, 248A, 249, 249B and 9027. The Jacob Lake Developed Area remains open.

It is important that visitors review the written details and maps in the White Sage and Dragon Bra­vo Fires Temporary Closure Order.

Use caution in the reopened areas. In the White Sage Fire scar, some hazards such as dead standing trees and possible flooding may exist. In the south­western part of the district, although the reopened areas were not directly affected by the Dragon Bravo Fire, some of the roads are access points for crews and equipment.

As a reminder, Stage 2 Fire Restrictions are in effect.

Information on Kai­bab National Forest closures, fire restric­tions, and other gen­eral topics can be found on the Kaibab NF web­site, X, Facebook, or calling the local ranger stations. For Dragon Bravo Fire informa­tion, visit Inciweb or contact the Incident Management Team at 928-268-5610.