Apache County Sheriff's Office orders evacuations
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY:
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY:
Further evacuations have been ordered by the Apache County Sheriff's Office for all areas south of Highway 260 and east of Greer, including South Fork and portions of Eagar. Highway 260 will remain open for the evacuation and will be closed immediately after the evacuation.
· Sunrise, Greer, Blue River, Alpine, Nutrioso, and the following subdivisions along highways 180/191: Escudilla Mountain Estates, Bonita, White Mtn. Acres, and the H-V Ranch. This area includes CR 4000, CR 4001, and CR 4225
· The evacuation site is located at; Blue Ridge High School located at 1200 W. White Mtn. Blvd., Pinetop/Lakeside
The evacuation center is located at:
Blue Ridge High School
1200 West White Mountain Boulevard
Pinetop-Lakeside, AZ
ADOT lists road closures
State Route 260 partially closed due to Wallow Fire in eastern Arizona
PHOENIX – State Route 260 near Springerville/Eagar is partially closed due to the Wallow Fire in eastern Arizona. The Arizona Department of Transportation is working with fire officials to ensure the safety of the traveling public.
Eastbound SR 260 is closed east of SR 73 at Hon Dah to east of Springerville (mileposts 361-398). There is no estimated time for reopening the highway. ADOT highway crews and law enforcement officers are providing on-scene assistance.
More than 200 miles of state highways are closed due several major wildfires burning in Arizona.
ADOT wants to remind motorists traveling that the following closures on state highways remain in effect:
- State Route 373, a 4.5 mile-long highway that connects the town of Greer in eastern Arizona with SR 260 west of Eagar, is closed.
- US 191 is closed between Alpine and north of Clifton (mileposts 176-253).
- State Routes 261 and 273, the main access roads to Big Lake and Crescent Lake in the White Mountains, 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).
- In southern Arizona, SR 289 is closed along mileposts 2-10, approximately two miles north of the Interstate 19 junction.
- SR 366 is closed at milepost 118 leading up to Mount Graham (milepost 336) near Safford after the U.S. Forest Service determined the risk of wildfire is too extreme to allow access.
Additional information on the Wallow Fire, Horseshoe Two Fire and Murphy Fire and evacuation orders can be obtained through the Arizona Division of Emergency Management at http://www.azein.gov. To stay up-to-date on the latest highway conditions around the state, please visit the ADOT Traveler Information Center at www.az511.gov or call 5-1-1.
Wallow Fire Update
Southwest Area Type 1 Incident Management Team
North Zone Incident Commander: Joe Reinarz
South Zone Incident Commander: John Philbin
For Immediate Release: June 7, 2011 6:00p.m. | |
Website Info: www.inciweb.org Twitter: www.twitter.com/AS_NF **Attention: www.inciweb.org is currently experiencing technical difficulties and has been down or running slow. Information will continue to be available through the other methods listed above and e-mail updates.** | |
Date Started: 5/29/2011 | Number of Personnel: Approximately 2,140 |
Location: south and west of Alpine, Arizona | Including 27 hotshot crews and 29 handcrews |
Cause: Human – under investigation | Equipment: 8 dozers, 141 engines, 46 watertenders |
Size: 311,481 acres | Aircraft: 20 helicopters |
Percent Contained: 0% | Injuries to Date: none |
Structures: 343 threatened; 1 damaged; 10 lost | |
A community meeting was held at the Round Valley High School Auditorium, Tuesday, June 7 at 6:00p.m.
Current Evacuations
· Effective Immediately: Further evacuations have been ordered by the Apache County Sheriff’s Office for all the areas south of Hwy 260 and east of Greer, including South Fork and portions of Eagar. Hwy 260 will remain open for the evacuation and will be closed immediately after the evacuation.· Sunrise, Greer, Blue River, Alpine, Nutrioso, and the following subdivisions along highways 180/191: Escudilla Mountain Estates, Bonita, White Mtn. Acres, and the H-V Ranch. This area includes CR 4000, CR 4001, and CR 4225
· The evacuation site is located at; Blue Ridge High School located at 1200 W. White Mtn. Blvd., Pinetop/Lakeside
Pre-Evacuation Alert
- Pre-evacuation alert issued by Apache County Sheriff’s Office for Springerville.
- Residents in the communities affected by this fire are asked to remain prepared in the event an order is needed.
Residents with livestock or animals that need care, please contact the Apache County Sheriff’s Office (928) 337-4321or the Greenlee County Sheriff’s Office (928) 865-4149.
Fire Update
Today, we continue to experience extreme fire behavior due to the forecast high winds and low humidity. The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the area. Firefighters are conducting burn out operations today as part of the strategy to build fire line for protection. Spot fires are occurring up to 3 miles ahead of the fire. Firefighter activities include: burnout operations, building fire line, perimeter control, structure protection, and patrolling for spot fires.
Closures:
Due to extreme fire conditions, the Apache National Forest is closed to all public entry. See website for closure order details. Please see the Forest website for more information: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/asnf/
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests Fire Restrictions: A Temporary Emergency Closure Order for the Apache National Forest was issued effective June 3 at 12:00 p.m. (noon). For more information, please call the Arizona fire restrictions hotline 1-877-864-6985 or visit http://www.wildlandfire.az.gov/.
MEDIA ADVISORY
- Media should call 480-331-9554 to coordinate interviews or visit the Lead Media Public Information Officer outside the Call Center at 940 E. Maricopa St. in Springerville.
- A media briefing will be conducted tonight June 7, approximately one hour following the closing of the community meeting at the Round Valley High School.
Safety of Firefighters, Public Paramount Concern
Donations Accepted through www.AzEIN.gov
PHOENIX– Arizonans are extremely generous with goods, services and money during emergencies and times of disaster and many have expressed interest in helping those who are suffering as a result of the wildfires in Arizona .
However, when folks show up spontaneously at a dangerous fire scene, that friendly gesture can become a dangerous situation for all involved. Members of the public are asked to avoid the areas where fires are actively burning to keep the area clear for firefighting operations.
“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,” Lou Trammell, director of the Arizona Division of Emergency Management said.
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.
“There may well be a time in the not too distant future when we need to rely on the generosity of our fellow Arizona residents and friends, and when we do, we want to be sure to ask for the right resources,” Trammell said. If the situation changes, a list of donation needs will be developed and widely publicized.
Those interested in making contributions can donate cash, services or products to non-governmental agencies that are providing assistance through an organized network. Go to www.AzEIN.gov and click on the “Make a Donation, Volunteer” link on the front page.
Visit the Arizona Emergency Information Network (AzEIN) website at www.azein.gov for real-time emergency updates, preparedness and hazard information, and multimedia resources.
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