Yarnell Hill Fire Reaches 90% Containment

Yarnell Hill Fire UpdateSaturday, July 6, 2013, 9:00 am

Fire Information Center Hours: 5:30 am to 9:00 pm

Fire Information Phone Numbers: 928-427-3347 & 928-427-6202 

Fire InformationMedia number: 928-427-6475

Public Yavapai County Call Center: 928-777-7481 (Hours:  8:00 am-5:00 pm)

Yarnell Hill Fire Joint Information Center: 928-445-4023, 928-445-1021, 928-445-1145

Yarnell Hill Fire Reaches 90% Containment

Fire Facts

Fire Start Date:  June 28, 2013 at 5:30 p.m.           

Location:  West of State 89 between Yarnell and Peeples Valley

Size:  Estimated at 8,377 acres                                  

Percent Contained:  90 percent containment

Cause:  Lightning                                                          

Personnel: 451 (includes 8 crews and 15 engines)

# Structures Destroyed:  114

Aircraft:  Five helicopters are assigned to the incident and available to support firefighters.

Evacuations:  The evacuation for parts of Peeples Valley was lifted for residents at 6:30 pm on July 4.  Residents of other sections of Peeples Valley and Yarnell, evacuated by the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday, June 30, remain out of their homes.  The Yarnell Fire Department and Yavapai County are assessing homes and structures around Glen Ilah and Yarnell.  For information on the status of your property please call 928-427-6475. Red Cross shelters are open at Yavapai Community College in Prescott at 928-717-8210 and at the Wickenburg High School in Wickenburg at 480-213-0706.  People and small animals are welcome at both shelters while large livestock can be taken to Hidden Springs Ranch on Highway 89. 

Media Briefings: There will be a media briefing today,  July 6, at the north roadblock at 10:00 a.m.

Joint Information Center:  On July 5, a Joint Information Center for the Yarnell Hill Fire was established (telephone numbers listed above).  This Center will serve as a clearinghouse for fire-related information.  It will be staffed by public information officers and support staff from cooperating agencies engaged in fighting the fire, conducting a memorial service for the 19 fallen Granite Mountain Hotshots, and for the on-going investigation of the fatalities.

Fire Closures:  State Highway 89 remains closed between mile post 270 and mile post 283 south of Kirkland.  The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office has three different road blocks: the junctions of Highway 89 and Hays Ranch Road; Hays Ranch Road and Sickles Ranch Road; and at Buckhorn and Frontier Road.  For updates on road closures call ADOT at 602-712-7355 or check their website at http://www.az511.gov or follow http://twitter.com/ArizonaDOT.

Fire Conditions and Weather:  Temperatures are expected to continue in the low 90s.  Predicted winds today, July 6, will be out of the southwest with gusts up to 26 miles per hour.   There is high potential for continued cooling and decreasing chance for major rain.  Relative humidity is expected to be 25.  Overall fire behavior should continue to diminish due to fuels being consumed.

On Friday, Hotshots who had been working a smoldering area on the northwest corner of the fire were successful in connecting containment lines.  This leaves only one section on the southeast of the fire as uncontained.   The area near Yarnell and Glen Ilah continues to smolder.  Firefighters will continue work on this remaining area of active fire.   Firefighters will also support initial attack in the area as needed.

Updates  throughout the day will be posted to the following websites:

Website: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3461/ (may be intermittently out of service due to high demand)

Follow the fire on Facebook at https://facebook.com/yarnellhillfire

Follow the fire on Twitter at https://twitter.com/yarnellhillfire