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Firefighters Remain on Alert for New Fires as Containment Increases 

Cottonwood Ridge, Snake Ridge, Spoon and New Fire Starts – August 6, 2023, Daily Update 

Spoon Fire Quick Facts 

Acres: 4,560 acres 

Cause: Lightning 

Containment: 80% 

Start Date: July 24, 2023 

Location: 2.5 miles east of Highway 60 between Globe and Show Low, AZ. 11 miles southwest of Cedar Creek 

Fuels: Piñyon- Juniper, Manzanita, Grass, Cedar 
 

Total personnel for all incidents: 301 

Continued hot, dry temperatures, and winds with gusts up to 30 mph occurred Saturday. Crews continued to reinforce containment lines by turning over dirt to make sure there were no hot spots near the perimeter of the fires. Crews were able to increase containment on the Spoon Fire to 80%, and the Cottonwood Ridge fire to 95%. 

There was one new fire reported Saturday. The fire was reported two miles south of the old Rodeo-Chediski fire on Chediski Mountain. Crews were sent to the west side of the Fort Apache Reservation to assist with fire suppression operations. With the help of a dozer, crews were able to keep the fire to below 10 acres. 

Cottonwood Ridge, Snake Ridge and Spoon fires: The excavators and hand crews continued repairing dozer lines and returning the land back to its natural state. The repair process will continue with the excavators pulling Junipers onto the dozer line and having firefighters cut them up, and then start spreading them across the dozer line, as well as spreading grass seed to help reduce run-off should the area receive rain. This will occur on both the Cottonwood Ridge and Spoon fires. Crews patrolled the perimeter of the Snake Ridge Fire and did not find any heat sources close to the fireline, so the fire has been declared 100% contained. Firefighters will continue to be ready to respond to any new starts. 

Weather: Hot weather in the low 90s, dry fuels and wind gusts up to 30 miles per hour are a concern through the weekend. Firefighters will remain prepared to respond to any new fire starts. 

Evacuations: None. For awareness regarding evacuations, familiarization with the Ready, Set, Go evacuation model is encouraged. Community members may also sign up for the Navajo County Alert System at https://tinyurl.com/y4vwrasw. 

Smoke: Smoke may start to appear if winds stir up any heat sources inside the fire perimeter. For information on smoke and air quality, visit https://www.airnow.gov. 

Closures: Highway 60 remains open. The southwest portion of Fort Apache is closed, including all Salt River sites within the closure area. 

Fire Restrictions: There are several fire restrictions in place depending on location. 

• Fort Apache Agency: Stage 2 Fire Restrictions - No campfire, fireworks, outdoor smoking, debris burning or discharging of firearms. Power saws cannot be used between 10 am and 8 pm. All motorized travel is restricted to developed roads. 

• Show Low, Navajo County and Apache Sitgreaves National Forests: Stage 1 Fire Restrictions - No campfires (except in developed recreation sites), no smoking outdoors, no welding, no fireworks. 

More Information: 

Inciweb:  

• Cottonwood Ridge: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-information/azfta-cottonwood-ridge-fire 

• Spoon: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-information/azfta-spoon-fire 

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BIAFAAFireMgt/