BUCKEYE, AZ (AZFamily) — Firefighters are continuing to make progress and gain containment as the Hazen Fire burns south of Buckeye.
The fire in the Gila River bottom near Hazen and Rooks roads has burned roughly 1,191 acres since starting Saturday and is 78% contained as of Thursday morning, according to the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM). The increase in acreage includes the burned area from Monday’s operations.
Despite fire activity increasing due to dry vegetation in the area, crews gained containment on the fire’s southwest corner.
In an update on Wednesday, forestry officials said firefighters will continue patrolling contained sections of the fire perimeter and checking for heat near containment lines. On the east side, crews are continuing to hold the fire line to prevent the flames from spreading.
Forestry officials say crews spent most of Monday constructing containment lines ahead of the fire, then burned vegetation along the line to reduce the chance of spreading. Firefighters patrolled the area throughout the night and reported no new issues.
APS crews are beginning restoration work on damaged power lines. Residents may continue to see smoke in the area as clean-up continues.
Weather Conditions Improve
After a warm and windy Sunday, crews said the weather has been more favorable, with calmer winds and cooler temperatures Monday.
“So completely opposite of what we saw yesterday [Sunday] at this time,” DFFM spokesperson Tiffany Davila said.
Davila said the west side of the fire near state Route 85 is “pretty secure,” and the smoke people are seeing is coming from the north-northeast side of the fire.
That’s where firefighters are concentrating most of their efforts and making a contingency line, like a backup line, behind the containment line in the area.
“We’re hoping this contingency line holds,” Davila said.
More resources, including a dozer, a strike team of engines and a hand crew, were ordered on Monday to assist.
Davila said approximately 120 people are fighting the flames during both day and night shifts.
While it’s unclear how the fire started, Davila said there were no storms in the area Saturday afternoon, so lightning has been ruled out.
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality issued a notice saying the agency is monitoring smoke levels from the wildfire. Officials say if you smell smoke, you are breathing smoke.
Residents in the area should limit time outdoors and close all windows and doors to protect the air inside homes. This is especially important for anyone with respiratory issues. Officials recommend setting air conditioning units to “recirculate” to prevent pulling in outside air.
Challenging Conditions
Salt cedar, which isn’t native to Arizona and grows in dense strands, is making it difficult for firefighters to access the fire and contains heavy amounts of dead branches, leaf litter and other fast-burning material.
Officials said residents in the area will see smoke and visible flames, but they urged people not to panic. No evacuations or school closures have ever been ordered in connection with the fire and the flames aren’t threatening any properties.
All roads remain open.
‘Like A War Zone’
The fire was first reported around 3 p.m. Saturday, about a mile east of State Route 85 and just south of MC 85.
A smoke plume was visible for miles, leaving hazy conditions across much of the West Valley. Officials urged residents to monitor air quality through the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.
Cellphone video showed flames racing through the Gila River bottom just feet from the Parkside Travel Trailer Park in Buckeye.
“It looked like it was right on top of us at that point,” Noah Hill said. “My eyes are burning. Ashes are falling from the sky.”
“It’s like a war zone almost — it’s scary,” Alexis Byrd said.
Hill said the fire knocked down power lines and burned through the river bottom up to a canal.
Buckeye Fire Department crews were first on scene, with the state Department of Forestry and Fire Management later taking command. Air support was challenging Sunday because of the wind, Hill said.
“The wind is crazy for planes to be flying,” he said.
Officials said a helicopter began the day making bucket drops but was later grounded due to wind conditions. The department later brought in single-engine air tankers to drop retardant and water to knock down spot fires along the perimeter.
For some residents living nearby, the fast-moving flames prompted quick preparations.
“I packed my guns. I packed everything I could — cash, medicine,” Hill said.
Hill said he planned to stay and remained hopeful crews could keep the fire from spreading into homes, noting there are farm fields and green vegetation between some properties.
The wildfire stopped at the property line of the Buckeye Equestrian and Event Center, sparing nearly 300 cattle and dozens of horses on site.
The fire burned everything on one side of a dirt road, melting and snapping a power pole. On the other side, an irrigated alfalfa field, cow pasture, RV park, horse stables, and arenas remained green and untouched.
Don Nahrgang, general manager of the equestrian and event center, is grateful that the fire never crossed onto the property.
“We have a pretty good fire line right here, and the wind didn’t push it across,” Nahrgang said. “There’s an irrigation ditch it never crossed, and then the professionals up here, if there was a spot fire, an ember came, they put it out right away, so it never did come to the property. Plus, the only thing that could really burn here would be my cow pasture, and it never happened, so we’re very lucky.”
Susan Long, who lives in the RV park and keeps her horse on site, says it was divine intervention.
“Honestly, I thank God. I don’t know. I mean the water, and they were irrigating, and I think that’s what saved us,” she said.
She saw flames shoot into the sky. The heat and black smoke were so intense, and the fire was moving so fast, she had to leave. She rushed her horse to safety at a different facility.
“Looked like a bomb; there was so much black smoke coming up,” Long said.
Long returned home to sleep last night, but said she is worried about the air quality.
“I’m wondering if that’s why I have a headache and don’t feel good cause I’ve been kind of just fussing with that all day, woke up this morning was not OK I think the smoke is just making it real hard to breathe,” Long said.
Nahrgang said the center moved cattle out of a 15-acre fenced area with trees because of concerns about embers with the wind blowing. The cattle were moved to grass pastures on the other side of the property.
All of the cows and horses on site are safe. The vet clinic, bar, and restaurant, also on the property, are back open.
No one was forced to evacuate, but all the animals at the vet clinic cleared out, and many of the people who live near the fire line left as a precaution.
A Buckeye firefighter said crews had previously cleared brush along the highway and around nearby property to reduce the risk of the fire spreading quickly.
Previous fuel clearing helps protect infrastructure
Chad Gilliam, an off-duty Buckeye firefighter, happened to have the day off and joined other neighbors as they watched the brush burn Saturday.
Gilliam said just years ago, a swath of brush along the highway was cleared in preparation for this exact scenario.
“They cleared the fuel, the brush right by the bridge, to protect that infrastructure,” Gilliam said.
That work is now protecting homes on the other side.
“As long as it doesn’t pass the bridge, the houses over here and other stuff should be good,” said Rigdon Hunter, who lives nearby.
Neighbors like Hunter are thankful.
“It would destroy a lot of houses if it got out this way,” Hunter said.
APS de-energized power lines in the area for safety Saturday afternoon, but according to the APS outage map, electricity was restored to a handful of customers. Firefighters said the fire damaged some electrical equipment, too.
Buckeye Fire officials said there are no injuries or structures damaged.
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