Fire Update in Gila County
Young, Arizona – Gila County officials report that the Billy Fire is continuing to expand as firefighters struggle to maintain control in the Tonto National Forest, located roughly 60 miles east of Payson.
On Sunday morning, Wildland officials announced that Ellison Ranch has been ordered to evacuate. Previously, Murphy Ranch was also evacuated last week, but at this point, no additional evacuations have been issued.
The U.S. Forest Service has confirmed that a community meeting is set for Monday at 4 PM at the Pleasant Valley Community Center.
In the meantime, firefighters are planning operations in the Rose Creek area throughout the day, with night shifts being deployed to help manage the flames more effectively during the cooler overnight hours. Fortunately, the fire department indicated that the Aztec observation deck remained unharmed after the fire passed through the area.
There was an incident on Friday along Forest Service Road 487 that resulted in five firefighters being hospitalized. Thankfully, they were all released later that night.
As of August 11th, the Billy Fire, sparked by lightning, has scorched 12,238 acres since it began about 15 miles south of Young. This represents a slight decrease from the previously reported 27% containment. As of Sunday morning, locations like Elk Camp, Trucka Ranch, Circle Ranch, Johnson Ranch, and Cook Ranch were in a state of readiness.
Initially, containment was at 65%, but officials noted that it deteriorated due to extreme heat and strong winds.
Experts emphasized that the fire’s location presents considerable challenges for firefighting crews, contending with steep, rocky, and remote terrain. Additionally, old mining operations in the area pose further hazards to the teams.
Crews reported that the Pueblo Canyon fire is approaching nearby communities, and firefighters are endeavoring to protect buildings while strategically burning out areas to stop the fire’s advance.
However, the broader region faces ongoing warm, dry conditions with winds intensifying to nearly 20 mph.
