A Declaration of Emergency was issued on Thursday, in response to the human caused fast-growing Doce Fire, in Yavapai County. The fire is burning through the Prescott National Forest, about 8 miles northwest of town.
Officials are asking members of the public, who may have seen suspicious activity related to the fire, to contact Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations.
The declaration makes emergency fund available to support emergency response and recovery efforts associated with the fire. The Declaration also authorizes the Adjutant General to mobilize the Arizona National Guard as necessary to protect life and property.
Additionally, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved the State’s request for a Fire Management Assistance Grant. This will make available federal funding to reimburse 75 percent of the State’s costs for fire suppression and related actions, such as evacuations and sheltering operations.
The Doce Fire, which is currently 0 percent contained, has burned approximately 6,500 acres, and is threatening numerous homes and communities. A Southwest Area Interagency Type-1 Incident Management Team has assumed management of firefighting activities.
The winds are expected to gust until today and die down Saturday, while humidity levels may go up, which would aid firefighting efforts.
More than 600 federal, state and local firefighters have been battling the human-caused fire about 8 miles northwest of Prescott in Granite Mountain Wilderness since it was reported at 11 a.m.
In support of the efforts to contain the Doce Fire, the Prescott National Forest is implementing an area closure in and around the fire area because public and firefighter safety is a top priority. “Limiting access and activity in the area around the fire will reduce traffic congestion for the many vehicles driving in and around the fire,” according to the Forest Serive. “Smoke can limit visibility and less traffic can mean a safer area to work. Access to private land by landowners within the larger area will continue to be available unless the area has been evacuated.”
Both the fire and the actions to contain it have had some disrupting impacts on the vegetation and the soils in the areas, making them potentially unstable. Trees burned by the fire could be blown down by strong winds, blocking roads or trails. Loss of vegetation makes the bare soil susceptible to movement with the upcoming monsoon rain events, which could also make roads or trails unsafe to navigate. Rocks and logs that were held in place by vegetation or other vegetative matter may have been loosened and may roll down to roads or trails.
Doce Fire facts:
Cause: Human, under investigation.
Number of Resources: 614 personnel including:
• 21 hand crews
• 27 engines
• 11 water tenders
• 1 dozer, and
• 4 helicopters
• Injuries to Date: 0
Estimated Cost to Date: $1 million primarily due to aviation assets in use.
Planned Activities:
Crews will focus suppression efforts on both the east and west flanks of the fire today, constructing dozer and hand line directly up against or at a safe distance from the fire’s edge. Burnout operations to reinforce the effectiveness of the constructed lines may also occur as conditions allow. Firefighters are assessing structure protection needs in all evacuated subdivisions, constructing indirect fireline and installing sprinklers as needed.
No structures have been lost and no further evacuations ordered. Firefighters remain on alert for hot, dry windy conditions that may affect the fire’s behavior and direction of growth.
Evacuations:
The areas of Granite Basin Homes, Black Jack, Camp Anytown, Sundown Acres, Cielo Grande, Old Stage Acres, south half of Mint Creek Wash and American Ranch remain evacuated. Neighborhoods in the Williamson Valley corridor are on notice for potential evacuation.
Road Closures:
Iron Springs Road south of the fire between the intersection with Williamson Valley Road and Conteras Road is closed to the public. Williamson Valley Road east of the fire between Pioneer Parkway and Outer Loop Road is also closed to the public.
Residents from neighborhoods north of the intersection of Williamson Valley and Outer Loop Road should plan additional travel around the road closure areas.