Rain minimally helps efforts with Verde Valley wildfires
Still much work ahead on containing Rafael, Backbone blazes

The Backbone Fire looked like this earlier in the week. Wednesday and Thursday rain helped the Verde Valley in general, crews on both fires still have a great deal of containment work ahead of them. Courtesy of Coconino National Forest

The Backbone Fire looked like this earlier in the week. Wednesday and Thursday rain helped the Verde Valley in general, crews on both fires still have a great deal of containment work ahead of them. Courtesy of Coconino National Forest

VERDE VALLEY — Though heavy rain seemed to improve the spirits of Verde Valley residents Thursday, storm cells didn’t seem to drop much water on the two major wildfires in the area.

Neither incident commander of the Rafael and Backbone fires, in their Friday morning video updates, mentioned this week’s rain as a major helpful factor.

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This Sedona Police Department cruiser was in the Devils Bridge area of Coconino National Forest late Wednesday. By Friday morning, Coconino, Kaibab and Prescott national forests will all be closed to public. VVN/Vyto Starinskas

However, neither fire grew significantly Thursday. There is still much work ahead in containing both blazes.

The full closure of both Prescott National Forest and state trust lands goes into effect Friday at 8 a.m. The Coconino and Kaibab forests were officially closed to the public beginning Wednesday.

There are minimal chances of rain Friday and Saturday in the Verde Valley, as temperatures will creep back up after rains cooled the valley this week. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, respectively, the chances for thunderstorms grows each day.

Rafael Fire

Friday, fire crews continued burning operations until early evening along road systems north, east and west of Sycamore Canyon. Crews will continue prepping fire lines by reducing fuels through thinning and removal in and around White Horse Lake, in the Kaibab National Forest, and along forest roads in Coconino National Forest. It started near Perkinsville and has spread north and east, northwest of Sedona and southwest of Flagstaff.

The lightning-caused Rafael Fire has zero containment. There are 311 firefighters assigned to it. It grew by about 3,000 acres Thursday to about 39,000 total acres.

As the firing operations continue, expect to see more smoke the next few days. Firefighters will scout for fire line locations on the northwest end of the fire today near Government Canyon and Wagner Hill.

On the east end, crews will scout for and prepare containment lines for firing operations in Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness, and structure protection specialists will identify values at risk in the Sedona area.

On the south side, near Mooney Canyon, firefighters will monitor the retardant line from yesterday’s burnout operation.

For information on evacuation status, and fire activity, there will be a virtual community meeting every day at 6 p.m. until further notice, on the Facebook page called “Rafael Fire Information.”

Evacuation status rescinded or changed by each respective county sheriff’s office. Check the social media pages of the national forests and Coconino and Prescott forests for updated information.

Here are the Rafael Fire evacuations, as of 6 a.m. Friday:

READY: In Yavapai County, the areas north of State Route 89A in West Sedona. In Coconino County, all areas south of I-40 and west of I-17, including the neighborhoods of Westwood Estates, Flagstaff Ranch (including W.L. Gore), Pine Del, Forest Highlands, Kachina Village, University Heights, Mountain del and Equestrian Estates.

SET: In Yavapai County, the Grey Mountain and Bear Mountain areas

In Coconino County, all areas south of 1-40, west of I-17, to include University Heights, Kachina Village, Forest Highlands, Pine Dell and Woody Mountain Road, Camp Navajo, South Garland Prairie, Pine Aire Estates and residents in between.

GO: In Yavapai County, some rural ranches in the area of North FSR 525 and Bill Grey Road, West of Sedona (Loy Ranch).

In Coconino County, areas around Sycamore Canyon and south of Forest Service Road 535 off of Forest Road 231 (Sycamore Canyon) and Garland Prairie South.

A shelter for evacuees is set up at Sinagua Middle School, 3950 E. Butler in Flagstaff.

Backbone Fire

More than 660 firefighters are now assigned to this lightning-caused blaze, which is now more than a week old.

Located between Fossil Creek and the Strawberry-Pine area, east of Camp Verde, the lightning-caused Backbone Fire is now 6% contained, along the southern tip of the fire area. It has burned about 40,000 acres.

Teams estimated the communities of Strawberry and Pine will remain evacuated for about one more week. Those residents were ordered to leave on Sunday, June 18.

First responders mentioned that there is heavy damage to the Fossil Creek waterfall area and water pools that are a popular part of the area. Those will be closed to the public for the foreseeable future.

The smaller Snake Fire is burning nearby in the Clint’s Well area. It’s only about 130 acres and is 60% contained.

Rock Butte Fires

Burning west of State Route 89, near Paulden, are five fires that total only less than 1,000 acres. Three of the fires are at 100% containment; the least-contained fire is at 56%.


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