The Arizona Republic - Arizona fires: Smaller Blazes Emerge Over Weekend

News Article

By Cassondra Strande

As fire crews knock down bigger wildfires burning in Arizona, smaller fires emerged over the weekend.

The Comet and 257 wildfires both started in the Tonto National Forest this weekend, according to David Albo, a spokesman for the forest.

The Comet Fire ignited Saturday and consumed 200 acres of land between the area of Florence Junction and Superior to the north of U.S. 60. By Sunday the fire was 50 percent contained.

The larger of the two, the 257 Fire, has burned over 1,000 acres 11 miles to the southeast of the Comet Fire.

The 257 Fire started Sunday and doubled in size after crews worked on the westward area of the fire near Arizona 177, Albo said.

Arizona 177 was closed overnight Sunday as crews work to beat the blaze. There is no estimated time for reopening the roadway, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

So far there are no containment figures available for the blaze and there is no official cause of ignition.

Crews are hoping to make additional progress on both fires Monday. Winds are expected to calm down from the weekend, Albo said.

Meanwhile, crews are still monitoring another fire in the Tonto National Forest. The Sunflower Fire started May 12 and roared through rural, wooded areas of the forest eventually charring 17,618 acres.

The fire has not displayed any major activity within the past week, but is not expected to be declared fully contained until after the first monsoon, Albo said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The Montezuma Fire has blackened 1,700 acres of land and is located 20 miles southeast of Sells. The fire began on May 30 and was 95 percent contained Monday morning.

The fire is not expected to grow and will be patrolled and monitored by local fire crews as of Monday afternoon, said Jonetta Trued a spokeswoman for the Montezuma Fire.

On Friday, Anthony Polk, 31, of Yuma died while he was on his way to fight the fire. Two other crew members, Andy Rosales, 29 and John Villicana, 25, were taken to a nearby hospital. Both Rosales and Villicana were released from the hospital Friday.

The Gladiator Fire, which ran through the steep Bradshaw Mountains of the Prescott National Forrest, consumed 16,240 acres. Officials announced Friday that the fire was 90 percent contained after nearly a month of battling the blaze.

The fire forced the evacuation of three communities, including Crown King, and threatened communication towers.

It started as a house fire and grew into one of the biggest wildfires of the 2012 wildfire season in Arizona. Though it pales in comparison to 2011's Wallow fire which devastated over 500,000 acres near the Arizona-New Mexico border.

Eight firefighters were injured in the fight and six structures were destroyed during the blaze.

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