COCONINO COUNTY, Ariz. – Crews in northern Arizona are battling a wildfire that has burned thousands of acres of land and forced evacuations.
What we know:
According to the federal government website InciWeb, the White Sage Fire was sparked by lightning, and began on July 9. The fire began around 1.5 miles from the community of White Sage, and about 15 miles to the southeast of Fredonia.
The fire has burned over 19,000 acres with no containment.
What they’re saying:
The arid Arizona landscape is making the firefight challenging for crews battling the fire.
“Especially in terrain that may be a little bit more rough and a little bit more difficult for firefighters to get into or may take a little bit more time for them to get into,” said Dolores Garcia, a spokesperson for the Arizona Bureau of Land Management.
“Early in the phases of the earliest evacuations, we were having to go to campsites and some of the dispersed camping areas to assist with the evacuation and make some of those notifications,” she added.
The Grand Canyon’s North Rim is also impacted by the nearby Dragon Bravo Fire, which was also sparked by a lightning strike.
“We are also kind of keep in touch with the neighboring fire,” Garcia said. “Right now, there’s a 30-mile distance between the two fires.”
Evacuations ordered
Local perspective:
According to Watch Duty, the following areas are under “GO” status, meaning residents should evacuate:
- Immediate area of Jacob Lake
- All areas north of Jacob Lake
- All areas south of Jacob Lake, to Forest Service Road 212
- North Boundary: Utah border
- South Boundary: Grand Canyon National Park
- East Boundary: House Rock Valley and Buffalo Ranch Road
- West Boundary: Kaibab National Forest Boundary
Additionally, all North Rim Grand Canyon visitors were previously ordered to evacuate.
Road closures
Meanwhile, ADOT officials say U.S. Highway 89A is closed in both directions at milepost 595 because of the fire.
Map of where the fire is burning