Single Publication

Containment increases on the Kane Fire

August 13, 2023 – Daily Update

Size: 2,854 acres

Start Date: August 4, 2023

Cause: Lightning

Containment: 9%

Total personnel: 255

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: Resource advisors scouted around the fire area to determine additional repairs needed to remove evidence of fire suppression actions. Crews completed repairs of firelines around Kane Ranch, including spreading brush to camouflage and naturalize the area. The fire remains quiet with little heat or smoke, and monsoonal activity is expected to continue to moderate fire behavior over the next week. Firefighters confirmed additional containment and determined more accurate acreage by ground-truthing the heel, or back end, of the fire where it first ignited.

Operations: Firefighters and resource advisors are working together to assess needed repairs to Forest Service Road 220 and evaluate conditions of fences and wildlife water troughs within the fire perimeter. In addition to scattering cut vegetation over firelines, crews also removed the sprinkler system that was installed to protect Kane Ranch when the fire was active. Firefighters conducted road maintenance using bulldozers on Buffalo Ranch Road and Forest Service Roads 220 and 224. The primary purpose of these suppression repair efforts is to reduce the potential for erosion, limit further damage to cultural resources, and gain better access to the fire area. Firefighters are staying alert to changing conditions to provide for safety, pausing work when lightning presents a hazard over the fire. Initial attack crews are responding to two new single-tree fire starts in a previously burned area located approximately four miles north of the Kane Fire. Changing wind patterns from the north may generate some light smoke in drier fuels, but high humidity and precipitation will likely keep fire activity low.

Weather: Conditions over the fire area will be mostly cloudy with a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms. These weather systems will weaken on Monday and reposition over New Mexico on Tuesday, increasing the chances of storms over the Kaibab Plateau. Winds will be generally light and somewhat variable day to day, however, strong and gusty winds are possible near any storms. High temperatures will range from 85 to 88 degrees at 5,400 feet in elevation, and 75 to 78 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. 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