Greer Fire scorches over 20,000 acres across eastern Arizona: What to know
A wildfire in eastern Arizona has set over 20,000 acres ablaze in the span of a week.
After six days of fighting the blaze, dubbed the Greer Fire, fire officials announced that they had gotten control of the fire. As of May 19, the Greer Fire is 39% contained.
Hundreds of firefighters are working to extinguish the wind-driven wildfire, which is currently burning through natural plant material, including grass, shrubs and timber.
"As a result of substantial work securing heat near the edge of the line, fire managers were able to add some containment to the fire this morning," according to a May 19 daily update posted to InciWeb, an information management system maintained by the U.S. Forest Service. "Today, all available resources are actively working to secure the fire perimeter and cool hot spots to prevent the spread of the fire by wind-driven embers."
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs declared a state emergency that will release $200,000 in state funds to the firefighting effort after a May 17 visit to the fire zone, according to reporting by The Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network.
"Everything we heard today is such a testament to the partnership and the coordination that doesn't just happen in the middle of a catastrophic incident," Hobbs said. "I'm committed to helping ensure those families have the resources they need post-fire... I know we're all expecting a bad season."
Here's what we know about the Greer Fire so far.
The Greer Fire broke out in Greer, Arizona, a small town over 200 miles northeast of Phoenix, around 11 a.m. on May 13.
The wind-driven fire was pushing to the east/northeast along the ridges through grass and pinyon-juniper. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to InciWeb.
Fire personnel were expected to continue to patrol and up hotspots along the control lines to prepare for unfavorable weather conditions.
A Red Flag Warning, which warns of warm temperatures, very low humidities, and stronger than average winds, remains in effect across several regions until 8 p.m. local time on May 19. Eagar, Springerville and St. Johns, communities neighboring to the Greer Fire, were also subject to a Red Flag Warning.
The weather conditions forecast "critical fire weather" in the White Mountains, Little Colorado River Valley and northeastern plateaus, according to a forecast from the National Weather Service's field office in Flagstaff.
Dangerous fire conditions were expected to continue through May 19, according to an X post from the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management. Lighter winds are expected on May 20.
"One spark into the dry veg under red flag conditions can start a rapid spreading wildfire," a warning from the agency reads. "Avoid burning or using tools that spark. Please do your part to prevent wildfires."
The Apache County Sheriff's Office issued mandatory evacuation orders for residents in Eagar, Greer, South Fork and all areas west of State Route 261 on May 16, three days after the wildfire began.
Eagar residents located south of State Route 260 between River Road and the SR 260/U.S. 180 junction — directly east of the fire — were included in the evacuation area. The fire had crossed east over State Route 261.
The latest Greer Fire evacuations could be seen on an interactive map provided by the National Interagency Fire Center.
Shelter for evacuees were open at the County Fairgrounds in St. Johns and the Alpine Community Center. Blankets and food were available for those who had been evacuated, according to the Apache County Office of Emergency Management website.
Greer Fire animal victims: Where residents can take horses, livestock and other animals
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Greer Fire scorches over 20,000 acres across eastern Arizona
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