Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) specialists recently completed their data gathering and analysis for the Backbone burned area to produce a soil burned severity map. This map and data display categories of unburned/low, moderate and high. Approximately 63% of the 41,924 acres are either unburned and/or low soil burn severity, while 35% sustained a moderate soil burn severity and only about 2% identified as high soil burn severity.

The low category of soil burn severity indicate that there was only partial consumption of fine fuels and litter coverage remains relatively intact on the soil surface. Residence time at the soil surface was short, leaving root systems and structure undamaged. Recovery time in the low category will vary based on ecological community but is expected to recovery in the short-term.

A moderate category of soil burn severity indicates consumption of litter and fine fuels at the soil surface. In forested communities, the heat from moderate severity fire will result in water repellant conditions at the mineral soil surface. The canopy in the forest is browning and it is expected that trees will drop needles and leaves that can provide some litter cover at the soil surface. In these systems, recovery can take longer for tree species to reestablish.

The moderate soil burn severity category in lower elevation communities indicates complete consumption of shrub cover that can but does not necessarily result in water repellant conditions at the soil surface. Several shrub species in the lower elevation communities do resprout after fire and recovery time will be variable. Moderate soil burn severity category in the lower elevation shrub communities that did not express water repellant behavior can still result in a runoff potential category of high as a result of the soils inherent qualities and the removal of effective vegetative cover.

A high soil burn severity category is the result of higher intensity fire behavior or longer residence time at the soil surface. This category is found in forested or dense woodland communities and the litter and fuels, including an overstory canopy, was consumed. The soil structure is weakened, roots are charred and water repellant soil conditions persist through the upper horizon of mineral soil. Recovery time in the conifer systems can be significant.

The Backbone BAER assessment team used initial remote sensing imagery with its field validated soils data, to develop and produce a map showing soil burn severity levels for the burned areas within both wildfires. The BAER team and the US Geological Survey (USGS) both used the soil burn severity map as an analysis tool to estimate post fire flows and debris flow probability. 

The BAER team relied on its refined soil burn severity map to produce data used in its subsequent modeling and determination of post fire runoff and sedimentation. In specific areas that experienced moderate to high burn severity, there could be increased runoff from steep hillslopes and resultant increases in post-fire soil erosion and potential debris flows.

The Backbone soil burn severity map can be downloaded via the "Maps" tab of the “Backbone Post-Fire BAER” InciWeb page as a JPEG or PDF file.

SPECIAL NOTE: Everyone near and downstream from the burned areas should remain alert and stay updated on weather conditions that may result in heavy rains over the burn scars. Flash flooding may occur quickly during heavy rain events--be prepared to take action. Current weather and emergency notifications can be found at the National Weather Service website.

Acres: 40,855 acres
Percent Containment: 76%
Start Date: June 16, 2021
Cause: Lightning
Origin Location: Approximately 12 miles west of Pine and Strawberry, Arizona
Fuels: Pinyon Juniper, Chaparral, Brush, Grass, Cactus
Personnel Assigned: 319

Final Update

Today is the last day on the Backbone Fire for Southwest Area Incident Command Team #1. On Thursday morning, management of the fire will be turned back to the local units, a smaller organization that will continue with suppression repair work. There is a 75% chance of rain today. Firefighters will be working the fire’s edge looking for any remaining hot spots and transporting excess supplies and equipment from containment lines to their fire camp. Crews are also finishing chipping debris along the corridor of State Route 260. Firefighters will continue suppression repair work across the fire area.

Public Land Closures: Because of the extreme fire danger, many of the National Forests in Arizona have been closed to protect public health and safety. Please check the website for your specific National Forest for closure notifications.

Road Closures: State Route 260 has reopened between Camp Verde and State Route 87. Motorists are advised to visit https://www.az511.com for current road closures.

Arizona Public Service Co. (APS) is working closely with the agencies responding to wildfires across the state. While there has been some damage to APS infrastructure due to wildfire activity, at this time there are no customers without power because of the fires and disruption in service is not currently anticipated. APS is monitoring fire progress and will coordinate with emergency response agencies in the event there is a need to take power lines out of service to protect firefighters and/or if the fire or smoke impacts electrical infrastructure. Given the unpredictability of fires and weather, APS encourages customers to visit aps.com/outagecenter for tips on how to prepare for an outage, to sign up for outage alerts and to view the APS outage map.

Weather: Temperatures today will range from 84 to 94 degrees and humidity will be higher, ranging from 26 to 36%. Winds this morning will be from the southeast with gusts of 25 mph possible, switching to the southwest in the afternoon.

Evacuations: The communities of Hunt Ranch, Strawberry, and Pine are at READY. Residents and visitors should contact their county or visit https://ein.az.gov/ready-set-go for information regarding evacuation status.

No Drone Zone: A temporary flight restriction remains in place over the Backbone Fire.

Fire Danger Remains Extreme: Please use caution when recreating or working outdoors. Check for fire restrictions or information on fire activity around Arizona at: https://wildlandfire.az.gov/.

Backbone Fire Information

• Phone: (928) 362-4088
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BackboneFireInfo/
• Inciweb:  https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7545/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/backbone_fire

Acres: 40,855 acres
Percent Containment: 64%
Start Date: June 16, 2021
Cause: Lightning
Origin Location: Approximately 12 miles west of Pine and Strawberry, Arizona
Fuels: Pinyon, Juniper, Chaparral, Brush, Grass, Cactus
Personnel Assigned: 504 

Increasing Chance of Rain Today

There is a 50% chance of rain today and the probability increases over the next three days. Firefighters will be working the fire’s edge looking for any remaining hot spots and transporting equipment from containment lines to their fire camp. Crews are also finishing chipping debris along the corridor of State Route 260. Firefighters will continue suppression repair work across the fire area.

Public Land Closures: Because of the extreme fire danger, many of the National Forests in Arizona have been closed to protect public health and safety. Please check the website for your specific National Forest for closure notifications.

Road Closures: State Route 260 is closed between Camp Verde and State Route 87. Motorists are advised to visit https://www.az511.com for current road closures.

Arizona Public Service Co. (APS) is working closely with the agencies responding to wildfires across the state. While there has been some damage to APS infrastructure due to wildfire activity, at this time there are no customers without power because of the fires and disruption in service is not currently anticipated. APS is monitoring fire progress and will coordinate with emergency response agencies in the event there is a need to take power lines out of service to protect firefighters and/or if the fire or smoke impacts electrical infrastructure. Given the unpredictability of fires and weather, APS encourages customers to visit aps.com/outagecenter for tips on how to prepare for an outage, to sign up for outage alerts and to view the APS outage map.

Weather: Temperatures today will range from 88 to 98 degrees and humidity will be higher, ranging from 18 to 28%. Winds will continue to be from the east with gusts of 20 mph possible. 

Evacuations: The communities of Hunt Ranch, Strawberry, and Pine are at SET. Residents and visitors should contact their county or visit https://ein.az.gov/ready-set-go for information regarding evacuation status.

No Drone Zone: A temporary flight restriction remains in place over the Backbone Fire.

Fire Danger Remains Extreme: Please use caution when recreating or working outdoors. Check for fire restrictions or information on fire activity around Arizona at: https://wildlandfire.az.gov/.

Backbone Fire Information

• Phone: (928) 362-4088
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BackboneFireInfo/
• Inciweb:  https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7545/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/backbone_fire 

Acres: 40,855 acres
Percent Containment: 43%
Start Date: June 16, 2021
Cause: Lightning
Origin Location: Approximately 12 miles west of Pine and Strawberry, Arizona
Fuels: Pinyon, Chaparral, Brush, Grass, Cactus
Personnel Assigned: 632 

Increased Containment on Backbone Fire

Today begins a trend toward cooler and wetter conditions, which will moderate fire behavior and aid suppression efforts. Fire crews will be working the fire’s edge looking for any remaining hot spots. They are being supported by drones with infrared and aircraft conducting bucket drops as needed. Crews are also finishing chipping debris along the corridor of State Routes 260 and 87. Firefighters will continue suppression repair work across the fire area.

Public Land Closures: Because of the extreme fire danger, many of the National Forests in Arizona have been closed to protect public health and safety. Please check the website for your specific National Forest for closure notifications.

Road Closures: State Route 260 is closed between Camp Verde and State Route 87. State Route 87 is closed at mile post 270.5 north of Strawberry to Clint's Well.  Motorists are advised to visit https://www.az511.com for current road closures.

Arizona Public Service Co. (APS) is working closely with the agencies responding to wildfires across the state. While there has been some damage to APS infrastructure due to wildfire activity, at this time there are no customers without power because of the fires and disruption in service is not currently anticipated. APS is monitoring fire progress and will coordinate with emergency response agencies in the event there is a need to take power lines out of service to protect firefighters and/or if the fire or smoke impacts electrical infrastructure. Given the unpredictability of fires and weather, APS encourages customers to visit aps.com/outagecenter for tips on how to prepare for an outage, to sign up for outage alerts and to view the APS outage map.

Weather: Temperatures today will range from 94 to 104 degrees and humidity will be higher, ranging from 10 to 20%. Winds will continue to be from the northeast with gusts of 25 mph possible. There will be a good chance of rain beginning Tuesday. 

Evacuations: The communities of Hunt Ranch, Strawberry, and Pine are at SET. Residents and visitors should contact their county or visit https://ein.az.gov/ready-set-go for information regarding evacuation status.

No Drone Zone: A temporary flight restriction remains in place over the Backbone Fire.

Fire Danger Remains Extreme: Please use caution when recreating or working outdoors. Check for fire restrictions or information on fire activity around Arizona at: https://wildlandfire.az.gov/.

Backbone Fire Information

• Phone: (928) 362-4088
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BackboneFireInfo/
• Inciweb:  https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7545/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/backbone_fire

Acres: 40,855 acres
Percent Containment: 35%
Start Date: June 16, 2021
Cause: Lightning
Origin Location: Approximately 12 miles west of Pine and Strawberry, Arizona
Fuels: Pinyon, Chaparral, Brush, Grass, Cactus
Personnel Assigned: 697 

Increased Fire Danger Today

Today will be hot and dry with stronger winds out of the northeast. Fuels have dried out from the recent rains and increased fire activity is possible with the low humidity and strong winds. Fire crews are working the fire’s edge looking for any hot spots that remain. They are being supported by drones with infrared and aircraft will conduct bucket drops as needed. Crews are also working on chipping debris along the State Route 260 corridor. On the east side of the fire, crews will be working at removing excess water handling equipment around Strawberry and Pine. The fire continues to remain on the east side of the Verde River. 

Public Land Closures: Because of the extreme fire danger, many of the National Forests in Arizona have been closed to protect public health and safety. Please check the website for your specific National Forest for closure notifications.

Road Closures: State Route 260 is closed between Camp Verde and State Route 87. State Route 87 is closed at mile post 270 north of Payson to Clint's Well.  Motorists are advised to visit https://www.az511.com for current road closures.

Arizona Public Service Co. (APS) is working closely with the agencies responding to wildfires across the state. While there has been some impact to APS infrastructure due to the Backbone Fire, there are no customers without power at this time because of fire activity and disruption in service is not currently anticipated. APS is monitoring fire progress and will coordinate with emergency response agencies in the event there is a need to take power lines out of service to protect firefighters and/or if the fire or smoke impacts electrical infrastructure. APS customers can visit aps.com/outagecenter for information on how to be prepared for an outage, to sign up for outage alerts, and to view the APS outage map.

Weather: Temperatures today will range from 96 to 107 degrees and humidity will drop to 8%. Winds will be out of the northeast with gusts of 30 mph possible.

Evacuations: Evacuation orders continue to be in place for the community of Strawberry, while Pine is at SET. Residents and visitors should contact their county or visit https://ein.az.gov/ready-set-go for information regarding evacuation status.

No Drone Zone: A temporary flight restriction remains in place over the Backbone Fire.

Fire Danger Remains Extreme: Please use caution when recreating or working outdoors. Check for fire restrictions or information on fire activity around Arizona at: https://wildlandfire.az.gov/.

Backbone Fire Information

• Phone: (928) 362-4088
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BackboneFireInfo/
• Inciweb:  https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7545/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/backbone_fire

Acres: 40,855 acres
Percent Containment: 35%
Start Date: June 16, 2021
Cause: Lightning
Origin Location: Approximately 12 miles west of Pine and Strawberry, Arizona
Fuels: Pinyon, Chaparral, Brush, Grass, Cactus
Personnel Assigned: 697 

Residents of Beasley Flats and Verde Lakes no Longer in Ready Status

This evening the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office and the Camp Verde Marshal's Office announced that Beasley Flats and Verde Lakes are no longer in READY status. Residents are encouraged to continue to follow fire information. Crews on the fire were able to get to the fire's edge and construct direct line in a number of locations. Aircraft continue to support ground crews as needed. On the east side of the fire, crews continued work on a direct fire lie on Deadman Mesa and Hardscrabble Canyon. They also began constructing direct line in Fossil Creek. Today crews began removing water handling equipment around Strawberry and Pine. The fire continues to remain on the east side of the Verde River.

Public Land Closures: Because of the extreme fire danger, many of the National Forests in Arizona have been closed to protect public health and safety. Please check the website for your specific National Forest for closure notifications.

Road Closures: State Route 260 is closed between Camp Verde and State Route 87. State Route 87 is closed at mile post 270 north of Payson to Clint's Well.  Motorists are advised to visit https://www.az511.com for current road closures before traveling.

Arizona Public Service Co. (APS) is working closely with the agencies responding to wildfires across the state. While there has been some impact to APS infrastructure due to the Backbone Fire, there are no customers without power at this time because of fire activity and disruption in service is not currently anticipated. APS is monitoring fire progress and will coordinate with emergency response agencies in the event there is a need to take power lines out of service to protect firefighters and/or if the fire or smoke impacts electrical infrastructure. APS customers can visit aps.com/outagecenter for information on how to be prepared for an outage, to sign up for outage alerts, and to view the APS outage map.

Weather: Temperatures tonight will fall to 56 - 66 degrees and humidity recovery will be good at 35% - 55%. Winds will be out of the east with gusts of 15 - 20 mph possible.

Evacuations: Evacuation orders continue to be in place for the community of Strawberry, while Pine is at SET. Residents and visitors should contact their county or visit https://ein.az.gov/ready-set-go for information regarding evacuation status.

No Drone Zone: A temporary flight restriction remains in place over the Backbone Fire.

Fire Danger Remains Extreme: Please use caution when recreating or working outdoors. Check for fire restrictions or information on fire activity around Arizona at: https://wildlandfire.az.gov/.

Backbone Fire Information

• Phone: (928) 362-4088
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BackboneFireInfo/
• Inciweb:  https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7545/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/backbone_fire

Acres: 40,841 acres
Percent Containment: 13%
Start Date: June 16, 2021
Cause: Lightning
Origin Location: Approximately 12 miles west of Pine and Strawberry, Arizona
Fuels: Pinyon, Chaparral, Brush, Grass, Cactus
Personnel Assigned: 692 

Fire Crews Making Progress

There will be a community meeting Saturday, June 26, 2021 at 5:30p at the Expedition Church (301 S Colcord Road, Payson). The meeting is open to the public and live streamed on the Incident Facebook Page.

Yesterday's rainfall allowed for today's change in suppression tactics and has provided firefighters opportunities to go direct on the fire edge along most of the fire perimeter. By going direct, firefighters are able to check the progression of the fire toward the communities of Strawberry and Pine on the east side and Camp Verde on the west. Fire managers and crews are working diligently to increase containment along the east fire perimeter which will help lower the evacuation level.

On the west side, fire activity was minimal today and remains approximately five miles from Camp Verde. Firefighters continue improving primary and secondary lines constructed to protect Verde Lakes and Beasley Flats. On the east side, crews are extinguishing and mopping up any remaining heat around the burnout operation that was initiated three days ago. Firefighters have constructed and improved lines the the west of Strawberry and Pine, including on Deadman Mesa, to stop forward progression of the fire toward those communities. Fire crews continue to assess structures and enhance defensible space, as the fire remains approximately two miles from Strawberry.

Forrest Closures: Presently, the Coconino, Kaibab, Prescott, and Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests are in full closure. Today, the Tonto National Forest went into a Stage III closure.

Road Closures: State Route 260 is closed between Camp Verde and State Route 87. State Route 87 is closed north of Payson to Clint's Well. Motorists are advised to visit https://www.az511.com for current road closures before traveling.

Arizona Public Service Co. (APS) is working closely with the agencies responding to wildfires across the state. While there has been some damage to APS infrastructure due to wildfire activity, at this time there are no customers without power because of fires and disruption in service is not currently anticipated. APS is monitoring fire progress and will coordinate with emergency response agencies in the event there is a need to take power lines out of service to protect firefighters and/or if the fire or smoke impacts electrical infrastructure. Given the unpredictability of fires, and weather, APS encourages customers to visit aps.com/outagecenter for tips on how to be prepare for an outage, to sign up for outage alerts, and to view the APS outage map.

Weather: Although brief heavy rainfall occurred in the Verde Valley yesterday, much of it passed over the fire areas, running north along the 1-17 corridor. Isolated thunderstorms, with a warming and drying pattern, are expected throughout the weekend.

Evacuations: Evacuation orders were issued June 18 for the communities of Pine and Strawberry. The communities of Beasley Flats and Verde Lakes are in a Ready status. Residents and visitors should contact their county or visit https://ein.az.gov/ready-set-go for information regarding evacuation status.

No Drone Zone: A temporary flight restriction remains in place over the Backbone Fire.

Fire Danger Remains Extreme: Please use caution when recreating or working outdoors. Check for fire restrictions or information on fire activity around Arizona at: https://wildlandfire.az.gov/.

Backbone Fire Information

• Phone: (928) 362-4088
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BackboneFireInfo/
• Inciweb:  https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7545/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/backbone_fire

Yesterday the Backbone Fire received small amounts of rain, ranging from 0.1 to .25 inches. This has calmed the fire, but the forecast calls for increasing temperatures and lower humidity into the weekend that will remove any effects of the rain. For this reason, the team anticipates that residents of Strawberry and Pine will stay evacuated for at least another week. On the east side of the fire crews will be attempting to construct a direct fire line on Deadman Mesa to stop forward progression of the fire toward Strawberry and Pine. Crews will continue to strengthen the community defenses by constructing fire lines and completing structural protection work around the town and residences. Residents of Camp Verde and nearby communities will continue to see the fire slowly move northwest towards their towns. Firefighters will be working at strengthening control lines and assessing community defense needs. Aircraft will be used to keep the fire east of the Verde River and to slow its forward advance wherever they can be effective. Crews are working along State Route 260 to prepare for continued burning operations.

Public Land Closures: Because of the extreme fire danger, many of the National Forests in Arizona have been, or soon will be closed to protect public health and safety. Please check the website for your specific National Forest for closure notifications.

Road Closures: State Route 260 is closed between Camp Verde and State Route 87. State Route 87 is closed north of Payson to Clints Well. Motorists are advised to visit https://www.az511.com for current road closures before traveling.

Arizona Public Service Co. (APS) is working closely with the agencies responding to wildfires across the state. While there has been some impact to APS infrastructure due to the Backbone Fire, there are no customers without power at this time because of fire activity and disruption in service is not currently anticipated. APS is monitoring fire progress and will coordinate with emergency response agencies in the event there is a need to take power lines out of service to protect firefighters and/or if the fire or smoke impacts electrical infrastructure. APS customers can visit aps.com/outagecenter for information on how to be prepared for an outage and to view the APS outage map.

Weather: Temperatures will remain well above normal and are exceeding 100 degrees with single-digit humidity. Southwest winds will increase during the day with gusts of 13 to 18 mph possible.

Evacuations: Evacuation orders continue to be in place for the communities of Pine and Strawberry. The communities of Beasley Flats and Verde Lakes are in a Ready status. Residents and visitors should contact their county or visit https://ein.az.gov/ready-set-go for information regarding evacuation status.

No Drone Zone: A temporary flight restriction remains in place over the Backbone Fire.

Fire Danger Remains Extreme: Please use caution when recreating or working outdoors. Check for fire restrictions or information on fire activity around Arizona at: https://wildlandfire.az.gov/.

Backbone Fire Information

• Phone: (928) 362-4088
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BackboneFireInfo/
• Inciweb:  https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7545/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/backbone_fire

Video: Working Around the Clock

Fire Personnel Ask for Patience as Fire Continues to Burn 

Patience is requested during evacuations as the Backbone Fire remains a threat. Moderate rains were experienced around the fire area providing opportunities for the firefighters to limit the rate of spread. The Backbone Fire is 1 percent contained and continues to be one of many wildfires burning in hot, dry conditions across Arizona.  

Fire activity in the southwest corner is minimal. Although the fire has moved, it remains on the east side of the Verde River. Primary and secondary control lines have been completed on Wingfield Mesa, and fire crews continue to improve those lines. Additional contingency lines have also been completed near Beasley Flat and Verde Lakes. Firefighters continue to prepare State Route 260 and State Route 87 for future firing operations. In the areas where burning operations occurred, crews are monitoring for hotspots and continue to mop up near containment lines.  

Public Land Closures: An emergency area fire closure has been issued to protect public health and safety from fire activities. All Tonto, Coconino, and Prescott National Forest lands, roads, and trails in the area of the Backbone Fire are closed. Full details of area and road closures are available on the Backbone Fire Inciweb page.

Road Closures: State Route 260 is closed between Camp Verde and state Route 87. State Route 87 is closed north of Payson to Clints Well. Motorists are advised to visit https://www.az511.com for current road closures before traveling.

Arizona Public Service Co. (APS) is working closely with the agencies responding to wildfires across the state. While there has been some impact to APS infrastructure due to the Backbone Fire, there are no customers without power at this time because of fire activity and disruption in service is not currently anticipated. APS is monitoring fire progress and will coordinate with emergency response agencies in the event there is a need to take power lines out of service to protect firefighters and/or if the fire or smoke impacts electrical infrastructure. APS customers can visit aps.com/outagecenter for information on how to be prepared for an outage and to view the APS outage map.

Weather: Gusty and erratic winds from outflow will be possible but wetting rain remains low. 

Evacuations: Evacuation orders were issued for the communities of Pine and Strawberry. Residents and visitors should contact their county or visit https://ein.az.gov/ready-set-go for information regarding evacuation status.   

No Drone Zone: A temporary flight restriction remains in place over the Backbone Fire.

Fire Danger Remains Extreme. National Forest closures are in affect on the Kaibab and Coconino as of June 23,, Apache-Sitgreaves June 24 and Prescott June 25. Tonto National Forest will implement a Forest Closure on June 25. Check for fire restrictions or information on fire activity around Arizona at: https://wildlandfire.az.gov/

Backbone Fire Information

• Phone: (928) 362-4088
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BackboneFireInfo/
• Inciweb:  https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7545/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/backbone_fire

Ready status means that you are aware of and monitoring fire activity in your area. You should have basic plans in place for yourselves, important documents, medications, pets and livestock in the event that a “Go” message is received.

12:45p - Currently in excess of 34,000 acres and is being managed by a Type 1 Team. The Backbone has been stabilized and is not considered an immediate threat to the Verde Lakes area but the Type 1 Team is maintaining a proactive approach in continuing to fight the fire. At 12:45 today, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office issued a READY message for the areas of Fossil Creek and Childs. For more information, please contact the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office at 928-771-3260

YCSO has assigned a liaison to the Backbone fire incident command and should the need arise to move to a SET or GO status notifications will be sent out via the Code Red system and on our Facebook page.