Updated at 10:25 a.m. MDT June 15, 2021
Monday night the Telegraph Fire south of Globe, Arizona spread farther to the east across Highway 77 and merged with the mostly dormant Mescal Fire. When the Telegraph Fire was mapped at 11:16 p.m. Monday it was 123,078 acres, but it continued growing through the night possibly adding another 6,000 to 12,000 acres. At least 22 structures have been destroyed.
The fire burned through the El Capitan area Monday night from the west and north, then later moved through again from the Southeast.
Extremely dry fuels and weather conditions led to the rapid growth. At Globe Monday night the relative humidity stayed in the single digits until 4 a.m. when it rose to 10 percent. The wind during the night was generally out of the west at 10 to 15 mph with gusts of 15 to 24 mph, but slowed after 1 a.m.
Tuesday morning at 8:06 MST it was 88°, 22 percent RH, with a wind shift, 9 mph east-northeast winds gusting to 15.
Monday’s forecast for Globe is 106° and 15 mph winds out of the west-northwest gusting at 20 to 24 with the RH in the low teens.
An excessive heat warning is in effect through Friday with high temperatures at Globe continuing around 106°.
The progression map below shows how the recent growth on the east side apparently spread from Pinal and Signal Peaks.
8:45 p.m. MDT June 14, 2021
The Telegraph Fire south of Globe, Arizona exhibited extreme fire behavior Sunday afternoon and into the night. It ran to the east and spotted across State Route 77 early Monday morning near Capitan Pass and a second time just south of Grantham Ranch. The fire’s edge has moved adjacent to El Capitan on the west and east sided of SR 77, and spread east to the San Carlos Apache Reservation border. Hand crews and dozers are working to build fire line around the spot fire.
Firefighters conducted firing operations from a dozer line on the northeast side of the fire south of Six Shooter Canyon Road and Ice House Canyon Road.
The fire is currently about 2 miles from the Mescal Fire.
The fire impacted the west side of El Capitan. Structure protection crews in that area are using all of the contingency lines and prepositioned hoses, pumps, and water to protect the values at risk in and around El Capitan.
Airtankers and helicopters are dropping retardant and water in support of ground crews’ efforts. The fire behavior is too severe to allow firefighters to access and work near Pinal and Signal Peaks.
On the north side of the fire, crews continue to patrol and mop up pockets of unburned fuel which flare up along U.S. Route 60.
How to get at the causes of these fires?
It is disheartening to see posts being critical of the work being done by the firefighters in the Telegraph fire. It is just as possible the fire would cross highway 77 if nothing was done. There is many places that one would not deploy ground resources to try and keep the fire out of the canyons and draws.
No evidence is presented that the action done on the Telegraph fire is “criminal”. Nor is any evidence presented that the actions taken are in violation of NEPA. I highly doubt the “burners” are intent on burning “all public lands in Gila County”.
May the firefighters stay safe and continue to do good work on the fire.
As I predicted a week ago, the Telegraph fire did not spread along Highway 77. It was lit by FS burners intent on burning all public lands in Gila County. The loss of the old ponderosa pine forest in Ice House Canyon is criminal. The Tonto National Forest will pay for their major federal actions absent NEPA/NFMA documentation.
Hate to say you told em so. UGH, typical fire management these days. For those that say we’re being too critical of firefighting resources, the folks on the ground need to engage and support these fires while they’re manageable with air support, and not give up. Shame.
How do we know already that the ponderosa pine forest in Ice House Canyon has been “lost”? The Pinal Fire of 2017, which was “managed” from Signal Peak to Pioneer pass and covered Ice House Canyon as well may have moderated the fire behavior.