Tag: Crooks Fire

The northwest side of the Crooks Fire 8 miles south of Prescott, Arizona was very active Wednesday. In the last two days the section of the fire near Golden Eagle Road/Forest Road 97B has spread one mile to the west. Strong winds out of the south with 10 percent relative humidity contributed to the rapid spread. Wind gusts of 30 mph drove the fire west of Lookout Mountain toward Dosoris Canyon, pushing smoke into Prescott and surrounding communities. Crews were successful in holding the 52 Spur Road to keep the fire west of the affected communities. Most of the east side saw little or no movement Wednesday.

According to the Incident Management Team the fire has burned 9,014 acres.

On Thursday dozers and hand crews will work to strengthen the containment lines along Forest Service Road (FSR) 82. Favorable terrain may allow firefighters to access the fire’s edge west of Lookout Mountain, with the assistance of aircraft. Structure protection remains a key tactical objective and crews continue to perform defensive operations throughout the area.

Resources assigned as of Wednesday evening included 20 hand crews, 41 fire engines, and 14 helicopters for a total of 855 personnel.

The weather forecast for Thursday at 7,200 feet elevation calls for 21 mph gusting out of the south and southwest at 30 mph with relative humidity in the mid-teens. The elevation at the fire ranges from 5,000 to 7,000 feet. Friday the winds will decrease to 15 mph with 22 mph gusts from the west with 10 percent relative humidity.

4:38 p.m. MDT April 25, 2022

A wind from the north on April 25 pushed the Crooks Fire three miles to the south in Ash Creek, increasing the size to 5,893 acres according to a fixed wing flight very early Monday morning. The northern edge of the blaze is 8 miles south of Prescott, Arizona. The east side is about a mile west of the Goodwin Fire that burned about 28,000 acres in 2017 (see map above).

The north wind provided good conditions Monday to complete firing operations on the north side to prevent spread to the northwest into Lookout Mountain and Dosoris Canyon. Throughout the day and into the night, firefighters extended the fireline south of Lookout Mountain toward Ash Creek and from Moscow Peak west to Senator Highway.

Fire managers are planning contingency lines south and west of the fire in case winds push the fire in those directions.

Resources assigned include 19 hand crews, 38 fire engines, and 12 helicopters for a total of 675 personnel.

Weather

At 3:30 p.m. MST Monday at the Prescott Airport (elevation 5,043) the relative humidity was 9 percent, the temperature was 72, and the wind was east-southeast at 3 mph. The elevation at the fire ranges from 5,000 to 7,000 feet.

The weather on Tuesday and Wednesday could produce an increase in the rate of spread of the fire. The forecast for the area on Tuesday is for 20 mph winds out of the south gusting around 30, with relative humidity in the teens and the temperature in the 60s. On Wednesday the conditions will be similar but with winds a little stronger, 23 mph gusting to 26 mph. Thursday will be about the same as Wednesday.

Updated 12:08 p.m. MDT April 20, 2022

The Crooks Fire 8 miles south-southeast of Prescott, Arizona was 1,612 acres when it was mapped at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Most of the growth was toward the northeast as it burned south of Potato Patch and past Mt. Union as it approached Big Bug Mesa Road.

Red flag conditions in rugged terrain on Tuesday challenged firefighters and grounded aircraft through the day. Crews are looking for opportunities to construct indirect line hoping to keep the fire south of FSR 261 road and restrict its spread to the north.

A Type 1 Incident Management Team, California IMT 4, will assume command of the fire Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Resources assigned include 7 hand crews, 14 fire engines, and 5 helicopters for a total of 292 personnel.

Information about evacuations can be found at the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Department Facebook page.

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1:16 p.m. MDT April 19, 2022

A new fire, the Crooks Fire, broke out Monday eight miles south of Prescott, Arizona. Fire authorities said Tuesday the fire had burned 600 acres in the Prescott National Forest.

The fire is about two miles west of the Goodwin Fire that burned more than 28,000 acres in 2017.

The area is under a Red Flag Warning until 8 p.m. MDT Tuesday for 25 to 35 mph winds gusting out of the southwest at up to 50 mph with relative humidity around 10 percent.

Information from the Incident Management organization late Tuesday morning:

Ryan Barela’s Arizona Central West Zone Type 3 Incident Management will assume command of the Crooks Fire [Tuesday] at 6:00 PM.  The fire remained active last night as crews worked through the night on structure protection and burning fuels along Forest Road (FR) 261 and along Senator Highway.  Firefighters will focus today on keeping the fire south of FR 261 and east of Senator Highway.  Fires in Prescott, AZ typically are driven by southwestern winds that push the fire to the northeast, therefore, we are prioritizing working on the northeastern part of the fire.

The Southwest Area Coordination Center said Tuesday afternoon that a Type 1 Incident Management Team from California, led by Incident Commander Gamboa, has been ordered.

Crooks (AZ-PNF) CA Type 1 IMT (Gamboa) ordered.

— SWCC (@SWCCNewsNotes) April 19, 2022

(This article was corrected at 1:53 p.m. MDT Tuesday April 19 to correct conflation with the Crooks Peak Fire which is also in the Southwest Geographic Area.)