PNF updates August fire near Prescott

Smoke for the August Fire has been visible to Prescott residents all weekend, turning the blue sky white in the south. Prescott National Forest officials said that most of the burning is due, not to the wildlfire, but to 'burnout' fires deliberately set by firefighters to contain the blaze.

“As planned, firefighters working on the August Fire on the Prescott National Forest conducted multiple burnout operations on Sunday,” PNF spokeswoman Debbie Maneely said in a press release Monday morning. “Working within the perimeter set by their objectives, they burned south from the dozer line established on Saturday between the Ash Creek Ridge Road and the Senator Highway. While the fire continues to burn actively, much of the increase in reported acreage is due to he burning operations. Plans for today call for monitoring of fire behavior and holding of the fire lines.”

The fire is still no threat to structures. Details of suppression efforts as of 7am Monday, Nov. 5 include:

Size: 420 acres
Containment: 40 percent
Cause: Human, under investigation
Time/Date Started: October 30, 2007
Location: 10 Miles south of Prescott, AZ
Fuels: Heavy dead/down Ponderosa pine, timber, slash (piles left behind by woodcutting operations)
Terrain: Steep, rugged
Total Personnel: 195
Resources: seven crews, six engines, one water tender, two bulldozers
Air Support: two helicopters, two air tankers
Structures: No structures threatened
Closures: Forest Road 52B and FR 52 from Union Saddle (below the junction of FR 52 and FR261) to County Road 177 is closed.

For more information on the wildfire visit http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/prescott  or call the Prescott National Forest fire information line at 928-777-5799.