White Sage Fire exceeds 58,000 acres, reaches 61 percent containment as of July 23

Note: Fire information is current as of publication; please check online and/or government notification services for real-time infor­mation on active fires.

As of Wednesday, July 23, significant progress had been made in combatting the White Sage fire, with the fire reaching 61 percent containment and rising, and fire officials engaging repair efforts on the west­ern side of the fire toward Fredonia.

Left to right:

• Firefighters have been making progress around all edges of the fire. Photo courtesy of the White Sage Fire Information Team.

• White Sage Fire from a different perspective. Photo by Jeff Frey.

Per the White Sage Fire Information Team’s daily update, “Firefighters have been making progress around all edges of the fire. The fire has now been mapped to include the slight increase in acreage attrib­uted to the interior pockets of unburned vegetation that are now burned. Water tenders have been working diligently to shuttle water to the incident from sources such as Big Springs and the Colorado River, helping to fill portable drafting tanks for engines and supporting firefighting efforts in areas without nearby water ac­cess. On the east side of the fire, crews are constructing line directly on the fire’s edge using a targeted direct attack strategy. The team is utilizing infrared detection flights with Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) to locate remaining hot spots and guide crews to those areas, allowing them to locate and extinguish hot spots more effectively. Crews have added containment along a portion of the north­ern perimeter and continue to construct line, secure hot spots, and perform mop-up work in that section of the fire line.”

The report contin­ues, “Highway 89A will remain closed to ensure public safety as well as safe ingress and egress for fire suppres­sion resources. Fire managers are working closely with partners to continually assess conditions and deter­mine the safest time to reopen Highway 89A for both firefighters and the public.”

According to fire re­sponse officials, the ad­ditional ignition point at Oak Point has been 100 percent contained at around 85 acres, and has crews dedicated to containing and clean­ing up the area.

Incident weather reports low humidity, higher temperatures and low chances of rain, which can in­crease fire activity.

Evacuation notices and real time updates are available from Co­conino County Emer­gency Management at coconino.az.gov/207/ Emergency-Manage­ment