Flag Fire doubles in size
Mohave County authorities issued an emergency declaration after the human-caused Flag Fire near Kingman nearly doubled in size to 1,400 acres from Sunday night as fire crews battled high winds.
The Flag Fire near Kingman nearly doubled in size to 1,400 acres from Sunday night as fire crews battled high winds.
Mohave County authorities issued an emergency declaration for the fire.
One shed or outbuilding was burned in the fire as of 4:40 p.m., although the area received light rain that helped moderate fire conditions, according to a tweet from the Bureau of Land Management in Arizona.
It is a human-caused fire, though the exact cause is still under investigation, said Bureau of Land Management spokesperson Dolores Garcia on Monday afternoon.
The fire, which is 0% contained, prompted evacuation orders in the areas of Hualapai Mountain Park, Hualapai Mountain Park Lodge and Pine Lake. Approximately 200 homes have been evacuated.
In addition, Pine Lake Fire Department alerted the communities of Atherton Acres and Pinions Pines, of possible evacuations and moved them up to a “Set” stage of the “Ready, Set, Go” evacuation guideline.
County Supervisor Buster Johnson issued the emergency declaration Monday that activated the county’s emergency response and recovery plan until further notice.
“Hualapai Mountain Park will be closed to new visitors…during the existence of said emergency or until the threat in the park is declared over,” Johnson said in the declaration.
Three large air tankers and three single-engine air tankers were being prepped for use to help with containment, Garcia said on Monday morning. About 150 people were fighting the fire.
Monday’s high gusty winds were a concern. A wind advisory went into effect to areas in northwestern Arizona, according to the National Weather Service.
The combination of wind and low relative humidity was the main driver for the Flag Fire.
However, “increasing humidity into the evening with a change of showers extending into Tuesday” could help efforts to contain the fire, Garcia added.
The Mohave County Sheriff ’s Office said it has received offers for donations from the Kingman community, but it directed donations to places like the Cornerstone Mission homeless family resource center in Kingman or the local food bank due in part to COVID-19 protocols.
A Red Cross shelter is open for those affected by evacuation orders at Palo Christi Elementary School at Maple and Fifth streets in Kingman. There is no estimated time on when evacuation orders will be rescinded.
Hualapai Mountain Road was closed down to everyone except first responders and evacuees at mile post 10.
Garcia advised the public to visit wild landfire.az.gov and register with emergency notifications in their area, so they can receive immediate information on fire updates.
The fire also likely could have been prevented, she said, and people need to be cautious when outside and prepared for wildfires.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Reach breaking news reporter Miguel Torres at Miguel.Torres@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @MTorresTweet. Reach breaking news reporter Nienke Onneweer at nienke.onneweer@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @the nienke.