Jones Fire forces evacuation, US 60 closure near Wickenburg

Fire officials told residents on the southeast side of Wickenburg to evacuate after a brush fire, named the Jones Fire, erupted along the Hassayampa River and scorched 100 acres on the afternoon of May 11.

Crews stopped forward progression of the brush fire at 6:35 p.m., according to Inciweb, a federal wildfire tracking service. There was no containment of the fire, as of 7 p.m. May 11.

U.S. Highway 60 was initially closed in both directions between Wickenburg and Morristown (mileposts 111-120), but some lanes were later reopened shortly after 6 p.m., according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. The right lanes will remain closed overnight in both directions between mileposts 111-112, officials added.

Maricopa County officials initially issued a “set” alert for nearby residents to be ready for evacuation. Soon after, Wickenburg Fire Department advised residents to leave.

Residents were advised to evacuate within the area from U.S. Highway 93 to Zabel Mine Road and from the railroad tracks west of Highway 60 to the east of the Highway 60.

The American Red Cross of Arizona opened a shelter at Wickenburg High School, 1090 S. Vulture Mine Road, the agency announced. Hassayampa Elementary School evacuated students to the high school, according to a post on its website.

Between eight and 10 recreational vehicles were destroyed in the fire. An Arizona Forestry investigator was on the scene. The cause of the fire was undetermined, according to Inciweb.

The Jones Fire initially was burning in 15 acres of brush along the river but grew to 100 acres by late afternoon, and Arizona Public Service had shut off power east of Highway 60, according to the county’s emergency alert.

The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management reported on its Facebook page that a state hand crew had arrived and two other crews were en route as of 3:30 p.m., and that the fire was moving toward the U.S.60/U.S. 93 roundabout on the north. On the east, firefighters were burning brush along a nearby road to stop the progress and protect Wickenburg's south side.

By 4:30 p.m., the fire activity had moderated, department spokeswoman Tiffany Davila said in an interview, though flames were still visible crews had not declared any level of containment. A state fire investigator was on the scene, though no cause of the blaze was immediately known.

Fire engines and a dozer were coordinating with two large air tankers and four single-engine tankers, according to the post. The department had ordered water scoopers and an aircraft to assist with intel and heat imaging.

About 125 fire personnel were working on the blaze, as stated on Inciweb.

Wickenburg Fire spokesman Aaron Hadley said that once the evacuation was completed the evacuated school was the greatest concern, along with a hotel and an RV park. "It wasn't a densely populated residential (area), so the biggest thing was the elementary school," he said.

Winds were gusting at 10 mph and the fire was not especially fast-moving, Hadley said. Crews were making good progress, and the advance toward the roundabout did not immediately appear to be a threat to the town's commercial core.

"They're making good progress, especially with the air support," Hadley said. Crews from nearby Congress and Yavapai County had joined the fight, he said.

Tamarisk, an invasive plant also known as salt cedar, fueled the fire in the river corridor, Davila said, similar to a major brush fire that spread along the Gila River in Buckeye last week.