Jon Johnson File Photo/Gila Herald: Lightning started four fires in the Pinaleño Mountain Range on Monday, with three above Turkey Flat. Those three fires are burning single snags with some ground fire.
Contributed Article/Courtesy Coronado National Forest
MOUNT GRAHAM – The Safford Ranger District picked up four ignitions yesterday as dry lightning moved through the area.
The Veach Fire is 1 to 1.5 acres on the east side of the Pinalenos. A helicopter is being used today for evaluation and firefighters are responding. Three fires are burning above Turkey Flat which are single snags with some ground fire. They are Switchback, Twilight 1, and Twilight 2, with fire engines on each.
As people plan for holiday weekend trips into the forest, please remember we are in Stage 2 fire restrictions, which means no campfires, wood stoves, or charcoal grills; no recreational shooting; no smoking unless in an enclosed vehicle or building. This time of year monsoon showers are spotty at best, and dry lightning is prevalent. Conditions are so dry that significant rainfall is needed to decrease fire danger. If a rain shower moves through an area and it seems to get cold, fires are still prohibited. Wildfires have been ignited under those conditions.
And with the 4th of July approaching, we remind visitors that fireworks are always prohibited on Coronado National Forest. Even those that are legal under state and local laws. Something as seemingly innocent as a sparkler can easily ignite a wildfire that can cause widespread damage to the forests people love to visit.
