Photo: The Kirkland Fire on Saturday
The fire continued to creep and smolder through the day under hot and dry conditions. A majority of the activity resides on the west and northwest flanks of the fire near Kingsbury Mountain and Sadies Peak. At this time it’s 923 acres and 40% contained. Monday, crews were able to add more containment to the fire on a piece of the southern edge, near Ally Wash. Some areas of the fire are too steep for ground resources to work so they must take advantage of opportunities to engage as the fire moves into more favorable and lighter fuels and terrain.
Based off today’s fire behavior, Kirkland Fire operations decided not to conduct firing operations tonight. Instead a night shift of resources will go direct along the fire’s edge.
Currently 100 personnel are supporting the fire including a hotshot crew, two state hand crews, engines, water tenders, and a dozer.
As of Monday morning, all SET statuses have been lifted and residents have been returned to READY status. Residents in the area should still be mindful of the fire activity and any possible wind shifts.
Hot and very dry conditions are forecast through Thursday afternoon. Afternoon wind gusts up to 30 mph are forecast over the fire area. Minimum relative humidity values will be in the single digits each day with poor overnight recoveries. This unfavorable combination of weather can contribute to increased fire activity and behavior.
The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management’s Type 3 team is in command of the fire. One hotshot crew, two DFFM hand crews, eight engines, three water tenders and a dozer are supporting the incident.
The Kirkland Fire started Friday, August 1, approximately 3:15 pm, 2 miles northeast of Hillside in Yavapai County. The wind-driven fire pushed to the northeast through grass and brush, toward the community of Yava, throughout the afternoon and into the evening.
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