Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office Weekend and Beyond Roundup

Photo: Structure fire in Walker area

Walker Area Home Destroyed by Fire

On the evening of November 9th, YCSO deputies, along with firefighters from both the Prescott and Walker Fire Departments responded to a structure fire in the Walker area southeast of Prescott. Although first responders were on scene in twelve minutes, they found the home completely engulfed in flames upon arrival. Thankfully, the occupants of the home escaped without injury.

The homeowner said she had lit a fire in the fireplace shortly before the larger blaze broke out. The exact cause of the fire, which left the home a total loss, is not known.

Verde Valley Search and Rescue had a Busy Weekend

Members of the YCSO Verde Search and Rescue (SAR) teams were kept busy over the weekend.

On Friday evening, a couple from Texas called for help, after getting lost while hiking in the Secret Canyon area west of Sedona.

The couple said they started their planned five-mile hike mid-morning, left the original trail, then could not find their way back to any known trail. Verde SAR members were sent up a total of three canyons after finding the couple’s vehicle at the Secret Canyon trailhead but were unable to obtain accurate coordinates for the location of the original cell phone call.

A DPS helicopter joined the search, and a short time later located the couple just before ground search teams arrived at that location. The female had suffered a minor arm injury due to a fall. The couple were flown to a landing zone, then picked up and taken back to their vehicle.

Then on Sunday evening, YCSO received a 911 call from a 22-year-old Sedona woman who reported she was lost on the Devil’s Bridge trail. Although her phone battery went dead soon after the initial call, dispatch was able to obtain a set of coordinates, and multiple teams from Verde SAR were put into action.

They located a discarded bottle that belonged to the woman and eventually were able to make voice contact. They located her on the Dawa Trail, several miles from her original trail. She was not injured, and SAR personnel returned her to her vehicle.

Deputies Assist DPS in a Fatal Accident

Early Sunday morning, YCSO deputies were called to assist DPS with a fatal traffic accident on Highway 89 near Kirkland. The single-vehicle accident took the life of the driver, a Kirkland resident. The cause is still under investigation.