TONTO BASIN, Ariz. — The Bush Fire continues to burn, forcing evacuations throughout the Tonto Basin area. But one family in the center of it all has ignored those orders and decided to stay put.
Why?
"The main reason why we're here is because this is our home. But we also have animals. But we also have neighbors that don't want to leave either. And a lot of them are elderly," Sonya Longacre said.
"So we're gonna to stay here. We're going to check on them. And if something happens where we absolutely have to go we have to go...they will come with us."
She says her family's Tonto Basin area home is surrounded by smoke, so she and her husband can't see the flames in the distance, leaving a reddish hue in the air. Typical sights like Mount Ord are gone -- replaced by falling ash.
"The sheriff's department here is amazing. They've been here every day, all day long, going door to door, giving the information that people need to know,” she said.
The Sheriff's Department asked them to hang a ribbon on the front of their home to show they are still inside if the flames move in.
“Do I feel safe here? Yeah, I guess for now. ...It will change later when it starts getting really dark,” she added.
A shift in winds, however, can change everything on a moment’s notice.
