Photo: The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office at the Kirkland Fire
Additional containment was added to the map today along the north and south sides of the fire. The fire is now 60% contained at 913 acres. The decrease in acreage is due to more accurate mapping.
The fire continues to creep and smolder along the west and northwest flanks near Kingsbury Mountain and Sadies Peak due to hot and dry conditions. Resources are actively engaged in those areas using direct tactics to contain the fire. Some areas of the fire are inaccessible by crews therefore they must take advantage of opportunities to wait for the fire to move into better terrain and lighter fuels before they can engage safely.
Across the fire’s perimeter resources are cold trailing – checking for any potential remaining hot spots and mopping up. Engines are patrolling checking for any smokes within the fire’s interior.
Currently 100 personnel are supporting the fire including a hotshot crew, two state hand crews, engines, water tenders, and a dozer.
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.
