Woodbury Fire on Superstition Mountains: Map & Evacuations

Inciweb Woodbury Fire

The Woodbury Fire is moving beyond the Superstition Mountains in Arizona and evacuations were issued for nearby regions. As of June 21, the fire is now more than 60,000 acres in size. Even though containment has increased, evacuations had to be ordered for some nearby communities. Here are updates about the Woodbury Fire as of June 21, 2019. Stay tuned to local media for the latest evacuation details, as those can change quickly with little warning. At the end of this article are a series of links for staying updated about the fire and evacuations.

Woodbury Fire Maps & Size as of June 21

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The Woodbury fire is in the Superstition Mountains northwest of Superior, Arizona, but now it’s made a significant move north, according to Inciweb.

The fire is now 65,903 acres in size and containment is 42 percent as of June 21, 2019. So containment increased by one percent over the past day, but the fire has also grown significantly too.

The following embedded map of the fire is provided by MappingSupport.com and Joseph Elfelt. It has been updated for June 21 as the fire has moved north and beyond the mountains.

The fire was originally noted as being human-caused, but now the cause has changed to “unknown.” Here is a perimeter map of the fire for June 21:

Inciweb

Here’s a look at a fire progression map for June 21, helping you see just how much the fire has grown.

Inciweb

Inciweb wrote on June 21: “Variable winds with gusts up to 30 miles an hour and single digit humidity will challenge fire fighters today. Similar fire behavior is expected again today, with rapid spread to the north and east. Aircraft including helicopters and air tankers are still working the fire.” Winds will still be a problem through Friday. Strong winds will diminish on Saturday, but hot and dry conditions will continue.

Current Evacuations for the Woodbury Fire (June 21 Morning)

Jerry Ferguson

@geraldferguson · Follow

Roosevelt Lake is being evacuated because the 50,000+ acre #WoodburyFire is just a few miles south. Here are the latest aerial pictures. #azfire

9:19 pm · 20 Jun 2019

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The Gila County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation alert on June 20 for residents in the Roosevelt Lake area, KTAR reported. This alert includes the Roosevelt community, where residents were told to leave immediately, bringing pets, medications, money, and valuables. They were told to close windows and doors before leaving.

A shelter for evacuees has been set up at Lee Kornegay Intermediate School at 4735 S. Ragus Road in Miami Arizona.

Livestock can be sheltered at the Gila County Fairgrounds. If owners can’t evacuate their livestock, they are asked to paint phone numbers on the animals and set them loose.

For evacuation updates or details on livestock or pet shelters, please call 928-402-8888.

A community meeting will be held at Miami High School at 4735 Ragus Road at 6 p.m. today, June 21.

Closures for the Fire

Kim Powell

@KimPowellTV · Follow

It’s like driving into the sun. #WoodburyFire #azfamily

9:28 pm · 20 Jun 2019

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Closures include (per Inciweb, unless otherwise noted):

“The Tonto National Forest has closed the Superstition Wilderness and adjacent Forest.”
“State Highway 88 is closed from milepost 213 at Tortilla Flat to State Highway 188 at Roosevelt.”
“State Highway 188 is closed from State Highway 88 just west of Roosevelt at milepost 244 to State Highway 288. For current Arizona Department of Transportation information visit https://az511.gov/.”
“The Forest Service Campgrounds at Roosevelt Lake east of Roosevelt Dam are closed. Tonto National Forest Stage 1 Fire Restrictions are in place.”
“SR 188 between SR 288/188 junction to Roosevelt Dam,” per the Gila County Sheriff’s Office.

Arizona DOT

@ArizonaDOT · Follow

REMINDER: SR 88 is now closed from Tortilla Flat (milepost 213) to SR 188 at Roosevelt due to the Woodbury Fire. Also, SR 188 is closed from SR 88, just west of Roosevelt at milepost 244, to SR 288.
#aztraffic
#WoodburyFire

8:30 pm · 20 Jun 2019

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Here’s a map of some closures as of June 20, the most recent update:

InciwebClosure Map for June 20

Woodbury Fire Predictions

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Inciweb said that weather concerns are still a factor in the fire’s possible growth. Hot and dry conditions along with instability could help the fire grow, along with southwest ridge winds for Thursday through Saturday.

Here are the dangers over the next 24 hours, per Inciweb on the morning of June 20:

Strong SW ridge winds expected to develop on Thursday with threat of increased fire activity. Potential high ROS in grass/shrub fuels will increase with topography and wind alignment where heat is present. During the day fire spread is expected to continue to the NE at higher elevations in continuous heavy shrub fuels (with Pinyon PineJuniper mix) with areas of high intensity fire behavior on steeper slopes. Wind-slope alignment issues are likely with stronger winds. Variable smoke production depending on fire activity.”

Inciweb noted the following concern for 48 hours:

Continued hot/dry conditions with strong W-SW winds that may provide similar burning conditions that have been observed in previous days. Heavy shrub fuels at higher elevations (NE side of fire) will produce areas of high intensity fire activity and increased acres; while lighter fuels on the south and west side of the fire continue to show diminished heat due to suppression action – most areas are now “checked-up”.

And over the next 72 hours:

Threat of strong ridge winds continues through the period. Combination of low RH and increasing winds will maintain conditions favorable for fire growth. Continuous shrub fuels on upper slopes will continue to burn and retain heat. Portions of the fire will encounter fuel type change from Pinyon Pine and Juniper to lighter grass/shrub models as activity spreads to the north and east.