Hazen Fire: Crews still working to contain fast-moving blaze in the Buckeye area
Hazen Fire burning near Buckeye now 10% contained
Crews are making progress on the Hazen Fire, which has burned nearly 1,000 acres in the Gila River bottom, south of State Route 85 and MC-85. The fire is 10% contained as of May 5, officials said.
BUCKEYE, Ariz. - Crews are still working to contain the Hazen Fire, which began on May 2 in the Buckeye area, and is fueled by heavy river bottom vegetation.
May 5 updates
1:30 p.m.
The Hazen Fire has been mapped at 1,049 acres, the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management said.
"Fire activity has increased this afternoon as the fire consumes vegetation within the interior of the fire. This behavior is expected and does not pose a threat to containment lines at this time."
8:32 a.m.
According to the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, the fire has burned 992 acres and is 10% contained.
"Firing operations on the east side of the lakes were successful yesterday," officials wrote in a May 5 Facebook post. "Crews spent much of the day constructing containment line ahead of the fire, then burned vegetation along the line to reinforce it and reduce the chance of further spread. Firefighters on the night shift patrolled this new containment feature and reported no issues."
May 4 updates
During a news conference on Monday, Tiffany Davila with the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management said they can't put a timeline on a fire.
"All fires are different," Davila said.
She said the fire will take time to contain.
"We flew an MMA flight today, which is a multimedia flight. It allowed us to see the heat along the fire's edge and within the interior of the fire, and there's still a lot of heat remaining," Davila said.
"You could see the 40-foot flames"
Local perspective:
Neighbors say that while they have not been told to evacuate yet, they are keeping a close eye, and have their bags packed just in case. People were seen transporting their livestock and horses from the nearby equestrian center.
"Everyone in the neighborhood, including us, were using hoses to wet our houses down," said Michael Conti, who lives in the area. "You could see the 40-foot flames, and you could just see how fast it’s spreading east."
Hazen Fire continues to grow with no containment
Crews are still battling the Hazen Fire, which broke out in a riverbed in the Buckeye area on May 2. As of the night of May 3, the fire burned 980 acres, with no containment. FOX 10's Jacob Luthi has more.
Michael Graves, an air quality meteorologist with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, says people should be aware of smoke and limit their exposure to it.
"If you’re smelling smoke, you’re breathing in smoke. Just step outside and just monitor how it’s affecting your health," he said. "And if you need to be outside, just take it easy – don’t exert yourself too much. Minimize your time outside if you do start to feel being impacted by it."
The backstory:
The blaze started around 2:30 p.m. on May 2. Hundreds of acres burned in a fast-moving brush fire as crews from across the West Valley were forced to hold the line, unable to directly access the flames.
"It's burning some really heavy fuels right now on the river bottom. But your creosote trees. That's why you're seeing the large amount of smoke and fire behavior," said Buckeye Fire Dept. Battalion Chief Scott Balak.
Highway 85 was shut down in both directions for hours as the fire threatened the area. Some residents were left without power for a time after officials say the fire damaged power lines. The highway's northbound lanes reopened on Saturday night.
Over 100 personnel from agencies across the state, including local fire departments and federal partners, have been assigned to battle the fire.
Map of the area where the fire is burning:
The Source: The Buckeye and Goodyear fire departments, and the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management.