CROWN KING, Ariz. — Rebecca Thomas and her family couldn't wait to take their Can-am Maverick off-roading. They moved to the Valley from Utah last year and have been eyeing the paths near Crown King. Finally, with her daughter in town for Mother's Day weekend, they did it Saturday.
What they didn't realize was that a wildfire would break out in that same area while they were riding.
“We were pretty nervous for a minute, yeah," said Rebecca Thomas.
The Tussock Fire was just getting started as the Thomas Family stopped at the top of the hill for lunch.
“On our way back down we saw the smoke and it kept getting closer and closer as we drove down that road and pretty soon the fire was right on the side of the road on both sides," Rebecca described.
Rebecca and her daughter started taking cell phone video of the smoke and flames. Due to the fire's unpredictable nature, they decided to drive as fast as they could through it with flames roaring on both sides of the path.
“At one point it got really hot and we just went really fast through it and we were below the fire at that point," Rebecca said.
Since Saturday, the fire has grown to 3,500 acres. As the fire continues to burn, Rebecca and her family can't help but think about the what-ifs.
“What would we do if we had been trapped because it was so fast," Rebecca said.
The cause of the Tussock Fire is currently unknown and under investigation.
Aerial resources brought in to help
12 News got a tour of the large and very large air tankers standing by at Mesa Gateway Airport.
The very large air tanker, a DC-10 Air Tanker, can hold 9,400 gallons of retardant with the large air tankers hold 3,000.
“We are noticing an earlier fire season. More intense fire," said Jessica Gilmore, a public information officer with the USDA Forest Service.
The planes and their crews are a national resource and are ready to fly anywhere across the country to help.
Each plane is equipped with a pilot, co-pilot and fire engineer. Determining where to make drops of retardant and exactly how much is a coordinated effort.
“These guys are ready at a moment’s notice for a call to come in," Gilmore said.
Monday afternoon around 5:30 p.m., one of those calls came. Dozens of people quickly moved to get retardant mixed and the planes filled with fuel. In less than a half-hour from the call, multiple planes flew out to assist with the Tussock Fire.
Tussock Fire Evacuation Orders
According to the USDA, as of Monday, evacuations are ordered in the following areas:
- Minnehaha
- Fort Misery
- Horse Thief Basin
Crown King is on alert meaning there is significant danger in the area. Residents there are encouraged to start preparing in the event an evacuation order is issued. Crown King is currently closed to non-residents.
A shelter is ready to go at Mayer High School should it be needed.
You can find more information on Arizona's "Ready, Set, Go!" policy here: https://ein.az.gov/ready-set-go
The USDA also encourages residents in the area to sign up with the Yavapai County Emergency Notification System to receive any emergency alerts. You can do so by clicking here.
Tussock Fire Road Closures
According to the USDA's update released on Monday, there are some road closures due to the fire:
- Closure of some forest roads in the area of Old Senator highway at the junctions of FR 362 and FR 192 near Crown King
- Senator Hwy (FR 52) between Hooper Saddle (FR 362) and Crown King (FR 259)
- Additionally, the area of Cow Tank road, that leads to FR 711 near Lake Pleasant has been closed to the public
