KINGMAN – A Hualapai Mountain wild fire reported at 600 acres Sunday grew to 1,400 acres by Monday afternoon, about 11 miles southeast of Kingman. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) said the Flag Fire reported at 2:00 p.m. Sunday originated between the Flag Mine and Wild Cow Campground.
An evacuation order was issued Sunday for 200 homes in the community of Pine Lake. Residents of Atherton Acres and Pinion Pine were on standby to leave if deemed necessary.
Hualapai Mountain Park and the lodge nearby were closed and Hualapai Mountain Road was closed at mile marker 10 to everyone but first responders and evacuees.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Buster Johnson issued a declaration Monday afternoon, activating the Mohave County Emergency Response and Recovery plan. A command center was operating at the Ranger Station.
BLM Fire Information Officer Dolores Garcia said no injuries were reported and no structures had been lost by Monday afternoon. She said strong Sunday night winds launched burning embers into the air and onto the ground sparking small fires ahead of the also-advancing main fire line.
Dozens of firefighters, supported by retardant-dropping aircraft, focused on structure protection Monday.
“The conditions we’re seeing out there are extremely dry, much like what we’d see in June,” Garcia said. She said additional resources and a more sophisticated approach will occur as Monday’s Type 3 Incident Command structure transitions to Type 1 sometime Tuesday.
The American Red Cross established a temporary relief center at the Palo Christi Elementary school campus in downtown Kingman. No one used the center offering water and other supplies, though lodging would not be staged there due to COVID-19.
County Communications Director Roger Galloway reminded the public that firefighters are adequately supplied and that water and other public donations cannot be accepted because of the ongoing pandemic.
Dave Hawkins