Demob begins on the Woodbury Fire

Woodbury Fire Phoenix Roosevelt
The Woodbury Fire visited the Superstition Wilderness, June 22, 2019. InciWeb.

The spread of the Woodbury Fire east of the Phoenix suburbs has slowed considerably, allowing fire managers to begin “right-sizing” the fire, according to information released by the Incident Management Team (IMT). Some firefighting resources are being demobilized.

The Southwest Area Type 1 IMT 2 is starting an initial transition of duties to the Arizona Central West Zone Type 3 IMT. The Type 3 team will assume command of the fire at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow, June 28th.

Below is a map of the Woodbury Fire.

Map of the Woodbury Fire P
Map of the Woodbury Fire. The red line was the perimeter at 11:25 p.m. MDT June 26. The white line was the perimeter June 22, 2019. Click to enlarge.

The work remaining on the fire includes patrolling, securing, and monitoring firelines. Fish Creek, Pinyon Mountain and Two Bar Ridge have interior pockets of vegetation burning within the fire perimeter. These areas pose no threats to the fireline, however southwest winds will push smoke towards the Roosevelt area on Thursday.

An Unmanned Aerial System, or drone, was used Tuesday to fly over the eastern border of the fire to scout for hotspots. The aircraft detected heat within the fire perimeter and helicopters then dropped water and firefighters constructed line on the ground. The IMT used the drone again on Wednesday.

Woodbury Fire Phoenix Roosevelt
A line of fire retardant dropped by aircraft helped hold a section of the perimeter of the Woodbury Fire near Coffee Flat. Date unknown. InciWeb.

Smoke from fires in Arizona affects New Mexico and Texas

satellite photo fires wildfires smoke Arizona
Satellite photo, at 6:56 p.m. MDT June 19, 2019 showing smoke from a prescribed fire and wildfires in Arizona.

Smoke from a prescribed fire southwest of Flagstaff, the Woodbury wildfire east of Phoenix, and other wildfires in northern Arizona was photographed from a satellite at 6:56 p.m. MDT June 19, 2019.

Much of the smoke is blowing into New Mexico and Western Texas.

fire smoke map arizona new mexico
Forecast for the distribution of smoke from fires, at 6pm MDT June 20, 2019.

Woodbury Fire burns over 44,000 acres east of Phoenix

Tanker 101 tanker 914 Woodbury Fire phoenix
The convection column at the Woodbury Fire shows the beginning of condensation at the top, becoming a pyrocumulus cloud. Tanker 914, a DC-10 is in the foreground, with Tanker 101, an MD87. Photo taken at Phoenix Gateway Airport at 3:18 p.m. MST June 18, 2019. Photo by Ty Miller.

(This article first appeared on Wildfire Today)

The Woodbury Fire 12 miles east of the Phoenix suburbs became very active on the northeast side Tuesday beginning at about 2 p.m., sending up another large column of smoke that blew off to the northeast. It added another 3,894 acres to bring the total up to 44,451 acres.

satellite photo Woodbury Fire Phoenix Arizona
Satellite photo of smoke from the Woodbury Fire east of Phoenix, Arizona at 7:31 p.m. MDT, June 18, 2019.

On Wednesday fire crews are preparing for the possibility of the fire moving north towards Roosevelt and east towards the Pinto Mine along Pinto Canyon. Firefighters will be using burnouts and existing black lines to divert fire from the Reavis Ranch, Roosevelt, and mining operations. They will continue the preparations along 500 KV power lines to make them more defensible, masticating brush and building bulldozer lines where appropriate.

Map of the perimeter Woodbury Fire Phoenix Arizona
Map of the perimeter of the Woodbury Fire at 10:41 p.m. MST June 18, 2019.

The smoke is expected to spread to the east on Saturday, becoming noticeable in Southern New Mexico and Western Texas.

wildfire smoke forecast June 19, 2019
The smoke from the Woodbury Fire is expected to blow off to the east on Wednesday into Southern New Mexico and Western Texas. The map depicts the forecast for 6 p.m. MDT June 19, 2019.

Comparing the Woodbury Fire with the five largest in Arizona

Woodbury Fire compared to 5 largest fires in state

The 40,000-acre Woodbury Fire 12 miles east of the Phoenix suburbs is large, but it is nowhere near as big as the five largest in the recorded history of the state, according to the graphic prepared by the Phoenix office of the National Weather Service.

More information about a couple of these fires: Wallow Fire and Horseshoe Two Fire.

(To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Woodbury Fire, including the most recent, click HERE.)