Single Publication

Firefighters begin suppression repair on the Kane Fire

August 12, 2023 – Daily Update

Size: 2,868 acres

Start Date: August 4, 2023

Cause: Lightning

Containment: 7%

Total personnel: 262

Location: 11 miles south of US 89A, near Forest Road 220, North Kaibab Ranger District, AZ

Fuels: Pinyon pine/juniper with grasses and sage

Highlights: After several days of moisture and continued efforts by the firefighters, the Kane Fire is now 7% contained. Aircraft completed an infrared mapping mission over the area, revealing a cooling fire with some heat present on the southern perimeter. This heat will likely remain along the southern edge until the fire receives significant moisture. Because this updated mapping showed no new growth on the Kane Fire, the reported acreage remains the same as yesterday.

 Operations: Yesterday, crews made repairs to Buffalo Ranch Road, prepped an exposed water line, and knocked down berms where bulldozers created firelines around Kane Ranch. Resource Advisors spent the day on Forest Service Road 220 developing a plan for needed repairs in this area. Although storms were observed on the North Rim and northeast of the fire midday, the fire itself did not receive an appreciable amount of rain. Firefighters have started to conduct suppression repair around the footprint of the fire, cleaning up and repairing disturbances from firefighting activities. Firefighters are assessing and repairing bulldozer lines that were constructed during the initial attack on the fire and measuring miles of handlines to document post-fire repair needs. The fire is expected to continue to creep and smolder today, and dedicated crews will remain available to respond to any new fire starts in the area.

Weather: Conditions over the fire area will be mostly cloudy with a 70% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Winds will be generally light and somewhat variable day to day through the weekend, however, strong and gusty winds are possible near any storms. High temperatures will range from 82 to 85 degrees at 5,400 feet in elevation, and 74 to 77 degrees at 7,400 feet.

Closures: The Kaibab National Forest has issued an emergency area closure for the Kane Fire. The purpose of the closure order is to protect public health and safety during the Kane Fire, and to protect assigned firefighting personnel engaging in wildland firefighting operations. The full closure order (No. 03-07-23-06) and map are available on the Kaibab National Forest website:  https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/kaibab/alerts-notices. The Bureau of Land Management Arizona Strip District has also implemented a temporary closure for public safety, with the full closure order and map available on InciWeb.

Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the first priority. Members of the public should stay away from Kane Fire operations. A temporary flight restriction (TFR) is in place over the area, which includes unmanned aircraft, or drones. More information on the dangers drones pose to wildland firefighting aircraft and personnel on the ground can be found at: https://uas.nifc.gov/.

Smoke: Smoke from the Kane Fire may be visible in the surrounding areas of Page, Tuba City, Tusayan, Flagstaff, and Fredonia, AZ. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures. An interactive smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov/ allows you to zoom into your area to see the latest smoke conditions.

Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-information/azknf-kane-fire

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KaibabNF

Kaibab NF website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/kaibab/home

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KaibabNF

Email: 2023.kane@firenet.gov

Phone: (928) 421-4983

Office Hours: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM