Some evacuations lifted
for 174,000-acre 'Bush Fire' in Tonto National Forest
By Stephanie Olmo ,
Anita Roman , Steve Nielsen and Associated Press
Published June 13
Updated 1 hour ago
Wildfires
FOX 10 Phoenix
The communities will
continue being in a "set" advisory, meaning they should prepare to
evacuate if fire conditions become unfavorable again. Officials confirmed the
fire has burned 174,397 acres ...
|
Bush Fire burns over
170,000 acres
PHOENIX - There is good
news for people living near the Bush Fire. The Gila County Sheriff's Office
said the following evacuated communities may return home on Sunday, June 21st
at 9 a.m. Only residents will be allowed back home and will need to show proof
of residency:
* Tonto
Basin
* Punkin
Center
* Pioneer
Pass
*
Brownsville
* State
Creek
* Jakes
Corner
The communities will
continue being in a "set" advisory, meaning they should prepare to
evacuate if fire conditions become unfavorable again.
Fire continues to grow
Officials confirmed the
fire has burned 174,397 acres of land and is 15% contained. Over 750 personnel
are assigned to fight the fire.
While the fire's size
grew nearly 20,000 acres overnight, officials say that much of its growth is
due to burn out operations to control its spread and to protect buildings in
the area.
A top-tier management
team assumed command of firefighters battling Arizona’s largest current
wildfire because of the fire’s complexity and because the team has more
specialized and experienced personnel than the managers that were overseeing
the effort, team spokesman Dee Hines said.
Residents in the
Sunflower area and the Apache Lake area have been ordered to evacuate.
"Residents within
the area of Sunflower should gather the following items: water, snacks,
prescriptions, identification and other important documents, leashes and
carriers for pets, pet food, a change of clothes, and any other necessary items
for yourself and your family," read a statement by Maricopa County
Sheriff's Office.
Road closures remain
There are multiple
highway closures as a result of the Bush Fire. State Route 87 or Beeline Highway
is closed from Bush Highway to just south of Payson. State Route 188 is also
closed near the evacuation area. State Route 88 is closed in both directions
from Apache Lake to SR-188.
If you need to get to
Payson, you can no longer detour through Globe. Options include taking
Interstate 17 to Camp Verde and then taking 260 to Payson or taking US 60 up to
Show Low and cutting back on the 260 through Clay Springs and Kohls Ranch.
The fire is said to be
human-caused.
Community members react
Bush Fire evacuee
recounts harrowing ordeal
Fires crews continue to
battle the fast-growing wildfire. FOX 10's Stephanie Olmo reports.
“It is a crazy
time," Shelley Allison said. "People are scared about COVID, and now
we have to leave our house. Where do we go? How do we stay safe going?”
She's the store manager
of Tonto Basin Marketplace. She says with the fire miles away, people are
rushing in to stock up.
“Everyone is confused.
They don’t know what’s going on. They are trying to get groceries so they can
bunker down and fuel so they can evacuate," Allison explained.
Vic Romano was driving
through the area when he learned of the highway closure. “It is going to extend
my vacation," he said.
He's from Durango,
Colorado and one of the many drivers having to come up with a new plan to get
home.
"It doesn't feel
real. It feels like a movie," said Tammy Swanson, who had to leave her
home in Punkin Center due to the fire. Residents in her area were told to leave
on Monday.
Swanson said it's the
first time she has had to do so.
"I didn't have a
place to go. I didn't have the money, and I didn't have no place to go. I was
emotional. I told the sheriff that, and he said the Red Cross is here for
you," said Swanson.
Currently, Swanson is in
Globe, where she, along with her son and pets are staying at for now.
"People don't know
how hard it is until they experience it," Swanson said.
Check back for updates
as they become available.
Resources
Fire
Information: 928-351-7596 (public)
Facebook:
Fb.com/bushfireinfo
Email: 2020.bush@firenet.gov
Twitter:
twitter.com/TontoForest
The Red
Cross Evacuation Center has been relocated to the Payson Senior Center at 514
W. Main St., Payson, AZ 85541.
Maricopa
County: https://ready.maricopa.gov/999/Emergency-Management
Gila
County: http://www.readygila.com
Smoke
Outlook: https://fires.airfire.org/outlooks/CentralArizona
Road
closure information: https://az511.com
Tonto
National Forest: https://fs.usda.gov/alerts/tonto/alerts-notices
Tonto Basin and Punkin
Center area residents told to evacuate
The Bush Fire burning
northeast of the Valley has increased in size and it's forcing people to leave
behind their homes and evacuate as crews try to get a handle on the blaze. FOX
10's Ty Brennan reports.
The Associated Press
contributed to this report.
National Latino
Farmers & Ranchers Trade Association
1029 Vermont
Avenue, NW, Suite 601
Washington, DC
20005
Office: (202)
628-8833
Fax No.: (202)
393-1816
Email: latinofarmers@live.com
Twitter: @NLFRTA
Website: www.NLFRTA.org
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