Pipeline wildfire in Arizona triples in size within a day, evacuations ordered
A raging wildfire in Arizona nearly tripled in size in one day, sparking evacuation orders for the surrounding area, and a 57-year-old man has been arrested in connection to the blaze.
The Pipeline Fire was reported Sunday at 10:15 a.m. six miles north of Flagstaff by a fire lookout and initially spanned 1,500 acres, Coconino County said in a news release.
Over the course of the day it was pushed more than 15 miles by strong winds to an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 acres, officials said.
So far no structures or homes have been destroyed.
Areas under evacuation orders include Schultz Pass Road and Arizona Snowbowl, Timberline and the Crater Estates.
The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a fire off Snowbowl Road at 11 a.m. Sunday and were given the description of a white pickup truck leaving the area of the blaze.
Deputies spotted the car matching the description, leading to the arrest of the driver, a 57-year-old man whose name has not been released. He was charged with natural resource violations, U.S. Forest Service — Coconino National Forest said.
The suspect’s name was not released “in order to protect the integrity of the investigation," law enforcement patrol Captain Andy Pederson said.
The exact cause of the wildfire remains under investigation.
Warm and windy conditions are pushing the fire — burning pine, grass and brush — towards the east and Schultz Pass, according to Inciweb, the incident information management system.
Approximately 270 personnel were battling the blaze on Sunday, including 13 engines, nine crews, six prevention patrol units, three dozers, one water tender with help from eight air tankers and five helicopters, officials said.
A Red Cross Shelter has been set up at Sinagua Middle School in Flagstaff and an Animal Shelter set up at Fort Tuthill.
Adding to the fire troubles in the area, a new incident, the Haywire Fire, was reported Monday.
The blaze is located about four miles east of Sunset Crater Volcano in the forest and estimated to be 1,600 acres Monday, Coconino National Forest officials said.
The cause is not known and multiple engines are responding to the scene.
A “GO” evacuation order was announced Monday morning for Alpine Ranchos.
"The residents in this area are encouraged to gather necessary belongings and quickly leave the area," an Arizona Emergency Information Network release said. "CCSO deputies will be conducting security and door to door notifications of the area."
