U.S. Forest Service officials say they are managing a 200-acre wildfire that was discovered around 7:30 p.m. Saturday about 12 miles north of Jessieville in the vicinity of the Forked Mountain area. The fire is currently being managed with full suppression. “With firefighter safety being our number one concern, if the fire enters into the wilderness we will do all that we can to minimize the impact to wilderness values,” Megan Moynihan, Jessieville-Winona-Fourche District Ranger, said in a news release. “We are using helicopter aerial support to be light on the land as we work to contain the fire,” she said. The fire is located in a remote location, on both private and Forest Service land. There are no structures located in the area. Currently, there are eight dozers on the scene, one provided by the National Park Service, five by the Arkansas Forestry Commission and two with the Forest Service. Thirty personnel are managing the fire at this time and one helicopter providing aerial support. The fire is 10 percent contained. Law enforcement officials are investigating the cause of the fire, but do confirm that there were no prescribed burns occurring in the area.
Posted on: Sun, 04 May 2014 20:40:52 +0000