The Wallow Fire, currently the second largest in state history, continues to rage through northeastern Arizona and as of Wednesday remained at zero containment. The blaze that began near Alpine on May 29 has grown to encompass more than 389,000 acres, and threatens the communities of Eagar, Springerville and Luna, N.M.
As of press time there had been no reports of injuries, 11 structures were reported lost, one damaged and 588 threatened. A report from Navajo County Emergency Services stated that as of Wednesday morning there were 94 evacuees staying at the shelter being provided at Blue Ridge High School.
On Tuesday, residents were ordered to evacuate the south side of the Town of Eagar, and further evacuations were ordered by the Apache County Sheriff’s Office for all the areas south of Highway 260 and east of Greer and South Fork.
Already evacuated are the areas of Sunrise, Greer, Blue River, Alpine, Nutrioso, several subdivisions along Highways 180 and 191, including Escudilla Mountain Estates, Bonita and White Mountain Acres, and the H-V Ranch. This area includes CR 4000, CR 4001 and CR 4225.
A pre-evacuation alert has been issued for Springerville and Luna. Residents in the communities affected by this fire are asked to remain prepared in the event an order is needed.
Several areas in the county are offering shelter for livestock. Residents with livestock or animals that need care are being asked to contact the Apache County Sheriff’s Office at (928) 337-4321 or the Greenlee County Sheriff’s Office at (928) 865-4149.
Officials of the Town of Taylor have announced that they are prepared to accept evacuees in their community, with RV parking available at the Taylor Rodeo Grounds. No water/sewer, electric or gas connections are available on the grounds. Domestic pets must be leashed, or kept inside the RV or in owner provided pens/cages. Horses will be housed at the Taylor Rodeo Grounds, with water and feed available. Horse trailers with sleeper compartments will also be allowed.
Smaller farm animals such as sheep and goats will be housed at the Snowflake Rodeo Arena, where feed will be available. Parking for trailers with sleeper compartments and RVs is also available at that location, though there are no services.
Evacuees staying with family or friends in the vicinity of Taylor are asked to contact Taylor Town Manager Eric Duthie at (928) 243-6783 to register so that all evacuees may be accounted for by emergency services. For direct contact regarding animal housing in Taylor, call Animal Relocation Coordinator Brad Click at (928) 243-3527.
The Town of St. Johns is accepting animals at the Apache County Fairgrounds, which is currently at approximately 70 percent capacity. According to interim Town Manager Paul Ramsey, the town has plenty of feed donations, but is in need of individuals willing to donate their time to help maintain the animals by feeding and cleaning stalls. The animals being housed at the facility include horses, alpacas, emus, pigs, rabbits, dogs and cats. To volunteer, contact Kay McDevitt at (928) 245-1400.
The Navajo County Fairgrounds in Holbrook is also open to animals being evacuated, but has not been called upon to house any as of yet.
While many Arizonians are looking for ways to assist, the Arizona Emergency Management Division is asking that people wanting to offer assistance avoid the areas where fires are active.
“We are always appreciative of our neighbors’ generosity, but the fact is, it can become a great burden for those at the scene to break away from dealing with an emergency to handle unrequested donations or unaffiliated volunteers,” stated Lou Trammell, director of the Arizona Division of Emergency Management.
The Wallow Fire has been particularly fast moving, which is another safety component firefighters must take into account. That is a very dangerous environment for workers specifically trained for that work, not to mention self-dispatched volunteers.
Those interested in making contributions can donate cash, services or products to non-governmental agencies that are providing assistance through an organized network. The Arizona Ecumenical Council has a site available for that purpose at www.AzEIN.gov.
As a result of the fire there are many road closures posted by the Arizona Department of Transportation. They include a portion of State Route 260 near Springerville/Eagar east of SR 73 at Hon Dah to east of Springerville (mileposts 361-398). There is no estimated time for reopening the highway. In addition, SR 373, a 4.5 mile-long highway that connects the town of Greer with SR 260 west of Eagar, is closed. US 191 is closed between Alpine and north of Clifton (mileposts 176-253). SRs 261 and 273, the main access roads to Big Lake and Crescent Lake, are closed. SR 261 is closed starting approximately seven miles south of SR 260 to Crescent Lake (mileposts 395-413) and SR 273 is closed between the SR 260 junction and to the SR 261 junction (mileposts 378-394). US 180 is closed between the SR 260 junction near Eagar and the New Mexico state line (mileposts 403-433).
For more updates on the fire visit. www. inciweb.org or www. 593.info.org.
The Wallow Fire continues to burn out of control as of Wednesday. This photo was taken by a Joseph City volunteer firefighter in the South Fork area outside of Eagar.
