December 30th, 2024
The Horton Fire burning northeast of Payson has burned 928 acres as of Dec. 27 and has caused the closure of an area, including the Tonto Creek Fish Hatchery, in the Tonto and Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests.
The closure will remain in place through Jan. 31, 2025, according to authorities.
"The public is asked to avoid the fire area,” read a Tonto National Forest statement. “The purpose of the closure order is to protect public health and safety during the Horton Fire, and to protect assigned firefighting personnel engaging in wildland firefighting operations.”
The communities of Tonto Creek Fish Hatchery, Tonto Creek Estates, Tonto Christian Camp, and Zane Grey Cabins remain in SET evacuation status.
As of 12/27, the fire was at 17% containment. According to the 12/27 report, fire activity yesterday primarily occurred on the east end of the fire area, resulting in slow and steady east and south progression northeast of Horton Spring.
Today, increased fire activity and smoke are possible as the region experiences another drying trend, and fuels continue to burn within the rugged terrain of the Mogollon Rim. The remoteness of this area makes access challenging and containment of the east flank difficult, but crews continue to monitor conditions. Additional firing operations may occur to reduce threats to Forest Road 300 and FR 76 and other values at risk. Crews will patrol the area, improve containment lines, and conduct point protection of infrastructure as needed.
Authorities said increased smoke from the Horton Fire may be visible in the surrounding areas for many days. More air quality information is available on the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality website at https://www.azdeq.gov/.
Updates on the fire can be found on the Inciweb site at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/aztnf-horton-fire-2024. Updates on closures and restrictions can be found on the Tonto National Forest website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/tonto. back...
The closure will remain in place through Jan. 31, 2025, according to authorities.
"The public is asked to avoid the fire area,” read a Tonto National Forest statement. “The purpose of the closure order is to protect public health and safety during the Horton Fire, and to protect assigned firefighting personnel engaging in wildland firefighting operations.”
The communities of Tonto Creek Fish Hatchery, Tonto Creek Estates, Tonto Christian Camp, and Zane Grey Cabins remain in SET evacuation status.
As of 12/27, the fire was at 17% containment. According to the 12/27 report, fire activity yesterday primarily occurred on the east end of the fire area, resulting in slow and steady east and south progression northeast of Horton Spring.
Today, increased fire activity and smoke are possible as the region experiences another drying trend, and fuels continue to burn within the rugged terrain of the Mogollon Rim. The remoteness of this area makes access challenging and containment of the east flank difficult, but crews continue to monitor conditions. Additional firing operations may occur to reduce threats to Forest Road 300 and FR 76 and other values at risk. Crews will patrol the area, improve containment lines, and conduct point protection of infrastructure as needed.
Authorities said increased smoke from the Horton Fire may be visible in the surrounding areas for many days. More air quality information is available on the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality website at https://www.azdeq.gov/.
Updates on the fire can be found on the Inciweb site at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/aztnf-horton-fire-2024. Updates on closures and restrictions can be found on the Tonto National Forest website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/tonto. back...
