Law enforcement officials from the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office, the Show Low Police Department and the Pinetop-Lakeside Police Department are lifting the pre-evacuation notice that has been in effect throughout Show Low and Pinetop-Lakeside as a result of the Cedar Fire.
According to fire officials, while the Cedar Fire is still active, the conditions that were present to cause law enforcement officials to enact the pre-evacuation have subsided. As for the communities on the White Mountain Apache reservation, tribal authorities will make their own decision on when notices will be lifted.
The blaze had consumed more than 42,000 acres and as of Friday, June 24, was 42 percent contained with Highway 60 still closed at the time.
Environmental impacts are already being investigated as a result of the fire, and a Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team has been evaluating the fire’s impact on the Cedar Creek, Cedar Canyon and Long Tom drainages. It has been determined that well over 50 percent of the drainages suffered severe fire effects, and the BAER team has determined that the volume of water carried by all three drainages will increase substantially.
The Cedar Creek drainage is of highest concern, however, because of the high percentage of burned area in that section. The BAER team, in collaboration with the White Mountain Apache Tribe and Navajo and Gila counties, is evaluating possible mitigating and/or emergency actions that can be taken in the very short term, as well as over the next several months. to ensure the safety of the residents of Cedar Creek and Carrizo.
