Residents in 2 communities told to evacuate due to growing Billy Fire in central Arizona
The Billy Fire in Gila County prompted new evacuation orders for some residents, according to officials with the U.S. Forest Service Tonto National Forest.
The fire, located about 15 miles south of Young in central Arizona, spread across 8,869 acres and was 22% contained, according to the Forest Service in a Facebook post Aug. 10. The fire started July 9 and was caused by lightning, the Forest Service said.
Evacuation orders were upgraded to “go” status for residents in Murphy Ranch and Ellison Ranch, located in southwestern Gila County, meaning they had to evacuate immediately, according to the Forest Service.
Residents that remained in “set” pre-evacuation status included Elk’s Camp, Trachta Ranch, Circle Ranch, Johnson Ranch, and Cook Ranch, meaning those in the area had to be ready to leave at the notice of authorities, the Forest Service said.
State Route 288 was closed to all traffic from mile marker 298.3 to mile marker 276, south of Young, starting at 5 p.m. Aug. 10, according to the Forest Service. It was set to be closed until the smoke cleared in the morning.
“Outside of these hours, pilot cars will be used to guide safe passage when smoke and roadside hazards are minimized,” the Forest Service posted on Facebook. “During the closure hours, please plan an alternate route.”
An undated photo of the Billy Fire in Gila County. The location of the Billy Fire poses several safety concerns for firefighter as it is a very remote fire in steep and rocky terrain with an abundance of snags from the 2016 Juniper Fire, the Tonto National Forest said.
The burn area was closed, while the rest of the forest was under stage 2 fire restrictions that prohibited campfires, smoking or firing a gun, the Forest Service said. Only propane devices were allowed to be used.
A high temperature between 79 to 83 degrees was expected for Aug. 10 along with up to 30% humidity and a 30% chance of rain, according to the Forest Service. Western winds were expected between two and six mph with gusts up to 20 mph, the forest service said.
The fire was burning on steep, rocky terrain that was difficult for ground crews to access, according to the Forest Service. Air attack crews were able to drop about 28,000 gallons of water on the fire, helping to temper the speed and heat of the flames, the Forest Service said.
Leftover hazardous materials from past mining operations were also in the area, according to the Forest Service.
Another shift of firefighters was set to begin operations the night of Aug. 10, allowing crews to work in the cooler, more favorable fire conditions, the Forest Service said.
A total of 445 personnel, three helicopters, 10 crews and nine medical crews were assigned to the fire, according to the Forest Service.
A public meeting was scheduled for 4 p.m. on Aug. 11 at the Pleasant Valley Community Center, located near State Route 288 and Midway Avenue in Young, the Forest Service said.
Rey Covarrubias Jr. reports breaking news for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Email him at: rcovarrubias@gannett.com, and connect with him on Instagram, Threads, Bluesky and X (formerly Twitter) at @ReyCJrAZ.
(This story has been updated to add more information.)
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Residents in central Arizona told to evacuate due to month-long fire
