Fredonia, Ariz., August 14, 2023 -

Size: 2,854 acres

Start Date: August 4, 2023

Cause: Lightning

Containment: 38%

Total personnel: 221

Location: 11 miles south of US 89A, near Forest Road 220, North Kaibab Ranger District, AZ

Fuels: Pinyon pine/juniper with grasses and sage

Highlights: At 6:00 PM on Tuesday, August 15, the Southwest Area Type 2 Incident Management Team 4 will transfer command of the Kane Fire to a local Type 3 organization, led by Incident Commander Quentin Johnson. Team 4 extends its sincere thanks to the local communities for their support, gratitude, and hospitality throughout this incident. Due to successful firefighting efforts, the Kane Fire is now 38% contained, and resources are either demobilizing to return to their home units or reassigning to assist other wildfires across the country.

Future Fire Information: The Kane Fire Information phone number and email address will no longer be active after 8:00 PM this evening. For future updates, please contact the Kaibab National Forest Public Affairs at sm.fs.kaibabpao@usda.gov or 928-643-8110 (office hours 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM).

Operations: The Kane Fire remains quiet with little heat or smoke, and monsoonal activity is expected to continue this week. Yesterday, Kane Fire crews completed two miles of suppression repair on firelines; ongoing repairs on Buffalo Ranch Road include grading washboards and reinforcing water drainage features. Crews have been conducting road maintenance on Forest Service Roads 220 and 284, including scattering cut brush. Over the next several days, crews will draft water from the Colorado River near the boat ramp at Lee’s Ferry to fill water tenders for grader work on Buffalo Ranch Road. The Southwest Area Type 2 Incident Management Team will complete a thorough transition with the Type 3 organization and the Kaibab National Forest to ensure continued success after their departure on Monday evening.

Weather: Conditions over the fire area will be mostly cloudy with a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Tuesday will bring more moisture moving northward with a better chance of storms over the Kaibab Plateau. Winds will be generally light and somewhat variable day to day, however, strong and gusty winds are possible near any storms. High temperatures will range from 85 to 88 degrees at 5,400 feet in elevation, and 77 to 80 degrees at 7,400 feet.

Closures: The Kane Fire emergency closures remain in effect on National Forest System and Bureau of Land Management lands around the Kane Fire area. Additional information is available on the on the Kaibab National Forest website and on InciWeb.

Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the first priority. Members of the public should stay away from Kane Fire operations. A temporary flight restriction (TFR) is in place over the area, which includes unmanned aircraft, or drones. More information on the dangers drones pose to wildland firefighting aircraft and personnel on the ground can be found at: https://uas.nifc.gov/.

Smoke: Smoke has become less visible as rainstorms have moved into the Kane Fire area. An interactive smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov/ allows you to zoom into your area to see the latest smoke conditions.