Contact(s): Public Phone 928-235-2061 (6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.) Media Phone: 928-499-4736

HORSE FIRE – ARIZONA – October 19, 2020

Virtual Community Meeting at 6:00 p.m. Monday

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PrescottNF/

Containment: 21%

Resources: 256

Vegetation: Juniper, Chaparral and Timber

Start Date: Oct. 15, 2020: noon

Cause: Human, Under Investigation

Origin Location: 7 Miles Northwest of Crown King; 18 miles south of Prescott, AZ on the Bradshaw Ranger District (T1N, R2W, S24)

Above Average Temperatures, Extreme Topography Impact the Horse Fire

Type 1 Incident Management Team Assumes Command with Additional Resources

Crown King, ARZ, Oct 19, 2020 – Three firefighting divisions are protecting the community of Crown King, Arizona from the Horse wildfire Monday by creating firebreaks, constructing fireline, and installing sprinkler systems from the center of the town to outward structures. Crown King is evacuated. Additional work occurred along the southwest fire perimeter where firefighters increased containment to 21 percent.

Most of the heat and active burning is occurring in the northeast perimeter to the west of FR 52 (Senator Highway). Crews are actively engaged along Senator Highway working to keep fire activity to the west of Senator Highway. Activity at Hooper Saddle continues to consume vegetation and slowly move south.

Due to severe drought, plants are dead or dry and make for good fire fuel. Access is limited by the steep terrain and dense vegetation, making it unsafe for firefighters to fight the fire directly at the edge. Therefore, the Horse Fire will burn within its footprint for a long duration until significant moisture consistently hits the area for longer durations.

The Horse Fire started on October 15, 2020 when there was no lightning; making it a human-caused fire that is under investigation. The Prescott National Forest had no burning operations or prescribed fires.

All roads leading into Crown King have been closed – Goodwin, Senator Highway at Palace Station, and County Road 59 from Cleator. Please avoid the area to allow emergency personnel access. Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office has issued a Code Red ‘Go’ for the communities of Crown King, Minnehaha, Horsethief Cabins and any private inholdings in and around the fire area. There are evacuations currently in effect. For information on the Code Red alerts issued you can visit the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page for updates or call (928) 771-3321 or to sign up for Code Red notifications visit Yavapai County Code Red Notification.

Public Information

Public Phone 928-235-2061

(6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.)

Media Phone: 928-499-4736

Email: 2020.horse@firenet.gov

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PrescottNF/

Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7244/

Forest Closure: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/7244/58100/

Read the entire article at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail