Where there's smoke, there's the Tanner fire - smoke now seen from Payson, Globe, Young, Tonto Basin

Tanner Fire on Pleasant Valley Ranger District, Tonto National Forest, 10 percent contained-

Highway 288 remains partially closed

Young, Ariz. (September 26, 2011-1900 hrs.)-Pleasant Valley Ranger District fire specialists are managing the lightning-caused Tanner wildfire, which began August 20 near the peak of Armer Mountain in the Sierra Anchas. The size of the fire is about 4,800 acres, with the spread of today's fire to the north and east, and is 10 percent contained.

“Air support today was very effective as crews continued prep work at Workman Creek,” stated John Thornburg, Fire Management Officer.  “The fire remains within our management area and continues to burn heavy pockets of fuel which prevents catastrophic wildfires in the future.  We are very pleased with the fire’s progress.”    

A Type 3 team assumed incident mangement today and crews will be working overnight to take advantage of the higher relative humidity. 

The smoke, driven by prevailing southeast winds, is visible in the Tonto Basin, Globe, Young and Payson areas, or when traveling Highway 87 between Payson and the Valley, as well as from the northeast Valley.

Tomorrow’s operation will consist of mopping up existing containment lines and continuing prep work at Workman Creek.

Highway 288 is closed from Reynolds Creek south to the A-Cross Road. Crews are very focused on mopping-up operations here so the road can be re-opened.

Downdraft winds from a thunderstorm off Armer Mountain pushed the fire across Highway 288 Saturday evening around 7 p.m. and the fire burned through a dispersed camping area. No campers were present and no structures were lost. 

For further information, call the Pleasant Valley Ranger District offices at 928-462-4300, or stay updated at www.fs.usda.gov/Tonto. To report a wildland fire, call  866-746-6516 or dial 9-1-1.