Schultz Fire Near Flagstaff Arizona Forces Evacuations (Videos)

by Amy Judd | June 21, 2010 at 10:22 am

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The Schultz Fire Near Flagstaff Arizona Has Grown to Almost 9,000 Acres and Has Forced Some to Evacuate

The Schultz Fire, burning near Flagstaff has forced the evacuations of about four areas and is burning almost 9,000 acres after only erupting on Sunday morning according to Arizona Central. The following areas have been evacuated: Timerline Estates, Wupatki Trails, Fernwood Estates and Sunset Crater National Monument. It is thought that most residents have evacuated.

By Sunday night the fire had burned about 5,000 acres and had grown about 4,000 more by Monday; it is currently not contained.

Flagstaff and Coconino County have both declared states of emergency and the U.S 89 from Silver Saddle Road to milepost 433 has been closed.

No homes have been burned at this time, but the National Weather Service is concerned that winds could pick up in the region and could reach 20 mph during the day. They should decrease by Monday night, which will help calm the flames.

Stephanie Smith, a spokeswoman for Flagstaff told Arizona Central that the cause of the fire is unknown, but the strong winds are fueling the fire:

"The fire is torching and crowning, with fire burning at the top of the tree canopies," she said.

About 300 firefighters are currently working in the region with five helicopters and eight air tankers.

The Hardy Fire also broke out on Saturday afternoon, but that is about 300 acres in size and is 30 percent contained. Randall Wayne Nicholson was arrested in conjunction with starting that fire and is facing misdemeanor charges after dumping hot coals from a camp stove on the ground. He is being held on a $2,500 bond.

Watch a Few Videos of the Arizona Wildfires: