There are numerous fires in northern Arizona that have spread rapidly and are causing residents to evacuate. The Wyrick Fire is just seven miles from Heber and as of Monday, June 21 had burned through 5,700 acres; the West Chev Fire is located 13 miles from the Forest Lakes community on the Black Mesa Ranger District of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest; and the Backbone Fire originated just 11 miles west of Pine.
Highway 377 between Heber and Holbrook is closed, Highway 277 southbound will be shut down at the Y to Snowflake and Taylor and State Route 260 from Camp Verde to SR 87, eastbound between mileposts 292 and Heber is closed.
According to Inciweb, due to the Wyrick Fire residents are being evacuated and the proximity to power lines is a concern. There are also a few highway closures, mostly for evacuees. According to Inciweb, the Wyrick Fire has advanced toward Heber, and reached a starting point for setting evacuations into motion in Heber and Overgaard at 3 p.m. on Monday.
Areas in “Ready Status” include Overgaard south of Highway 260 High Country Pines in Heber Kendall Ranch and Camp Ponderosa Areas in “Set Status” are areas in Heber not identified as Ready or Go status, Chevelon Ranches and Retreat Communities in Overgaard south of Highway 277 and North of Highway 260. Areas in “Go Status” include Antelope Valley, Despain Ranch, Heber and Overgaard North of 260 and 277.
Smoke from the Wyrick Fire will disperse to the north, northeast and settle into the local drainages at night and in the early morning. An interactive smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov/ allows you to search for current smoke information. For information on the Wyrick Fire see InciWeb https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7558/ and Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests website at www.fs.usda.gov/asnf.
Holbrook High School and the Navajo County Fairgrounds in Holbrook are taking in evacuees and their pets and livestock.
According to Inciweb, The West Chev fire has significant potential for rapid fire growth due to abundant fuels in the area. Woods Canyon Lake is closed and under evacuation.
Regarding the Backbone Fire, activity along the western flank of the fire was visible from Camp Verde On Monday. firefighters and heavy equipment reinforced control features to the south and west of Strawberry and Pine. Another day of extreme fire behavior is expected with growth to the north and east. Evacuation orders are in place for nearby communities.
wp:paragraph
/wp:paragraph
