Firefighters Conducting Burnout For KP Fire; Monitoring Other Blazes
KP FIRE
HANNAGAN MEADOWS, Ariz. (AP) -- Firefighters used a burnout operation Saturday along State Highway 191 to gain 15 percent containment on a 4,117-acre wildfire burning in mountainous terrain in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest.
The highway would close for the weekend from Hannagan Meadow to an area 13 miles south, said Eric Neitzel, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service. The highway would remain open from Alpine to Hannagan Meadow.
The burnout to kill fuel that could feed the KP fire would continue Monday and Tuesday if necessary, Neitzel said.
There was no estimate for full containment.
About 500 firefighters battled the KP fire Saturday, which was burning about three miles south of Hannagan Meadow in the Blue Range Primitive Area.
No structures were threatened, officials said.
Officials said an abandoned campfire may have been the cause of the KP fire, though it remained under investigation.
ROSE FIRE
HANNAGAN MEADOWS, Ariz. (AP) -- A 780-acre wildfire that began when a prescribed burn escaped its containment lines was 90 percent contained by Saturday night.
No structures were threatened by the Rose fire, which was burning 13 miles south of Hannagan Meadow near Rose Peak.
The fire is expected to be fully contained by Monday.
Firefighters were monitoring the blaze and believed it would burn out on its own, said Eric Neitzel, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service. The fire experienced minimal growth Friday.
About 80 firefighters were working on the blaze Saturday, Neitzel said.
The Rose fire moved outside the burn area Tuesday and was burning in the eastern part of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest.
Officials previously said the Rose fire was started by two prescribed burns but on Friday they said it was started by one burnout operation.
A second prescribed burn jumped its lines and caused the 600-acre Pigeon fire 15 miles north of Clifton.
Firefighters were using air craft to monitor that fire, which was 95 percent contained by Saturday.
The Pigeon fire was mostly burning in the interior and officials believed it would burn out on its own, Neitzel said.
