Kirkland Fire Updates for Saturday – Suspect Caught

Photo: The Kirkland Fire on Saturday (courtesy ADFFM)

[Editor’s Note: There are two reports, one from the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management (Saturday night at 7:30 pm), and one from the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office who caught the person suspected of starting the fire.]

Saturday’s hot and dry conditions increased fire activity on the southeast and northwest flanks of the fire. The fire is primarily burning along Sadies Peak and moving northwest toward Kingsbury Mountain. Saturday a hotshot crew conducted tactical firing operations on the northwest flank to slow the fire’s spread. On the northeast/east flank, firefighters worked to put out remaining heat along County Road 96. Due to suppression activities, County Road 96 remains closed in both directions within the vicinity of the fire. Across the fire’s perimeter resources are using indirect tactics utilizing existing roads and natural barriers to slow the fire’s spread as part of overall suppression efforts. Some areas of the fire are inaccessible to ground resources and therefore unsafe to put firefighters. Crews will continue taking advantage of opportunities to engage when the fire moves into more favorable fuels and terrain.

Today’s aerial mapping mission puts the fire at 709 acres. The decrease in acreage is due to more accurate mapping. Another mapping mission is scheduled for Sunday. The fire is now 10% contained along the northeast flank near County Road 96.

More hot and dry weather is expected Sunday with low relative humidity levels. All of which contribute to a potential increase in fire activity.

Saturday, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office placed residents of the Kirkland area in SET status. SET is a pre-evacuation notification. Residents in SET should be prepared to evacuate if weather conditions increase fire activity. All READY, SET, GO information will come from the Sheriff’s Office or the Yavapai County Office of Emergency Management. Kirkland Fire operations is working closely with the Sheriff’s Office and Office of Emergency Management and has established two management action points; one to the north of the fire and one to the south. If the fire were to reach those points, the decision would be made to place those areas of Hillside and Yava in GO.

The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management’s Type 3 team is in command of the fire. One hotshot crew, two DFFM hand crews, eight engines, three water tenders and a dozer are supporting the incident.

The Kirkland Fire started Friday, August 1, approximately 3:15 pm, 2 miles northeast of Hillside in Yavapai County. The wind-driven fire is pushed to the northeast through grass and brush throughout the afternoon and into the evening.

Driver Arrested After Kirkland Wildfire

A Hillside resident was arrested Friday afternoon, accused of igniting the Kirkland Wildfire after driving his pickup truck on a bare metal rim for nearly three miles.

Around 3 p.m., Yavapai County Sheriff’s Deputies quickly responded to reports of a rapidly spreading wildfire off Bagdad Road near the Hillside and Yava communities, prompting roadblocks.

According to the initial investigation, deputies believe the man crashed his truck into an embankment, which blew out a tire. Instead of stopping, he allegedly continued driving toward his home. The sparks from the metal rim grinding against the asphalt are thought to have started multiple fires along the roadside.

The driver was arrested for DUI, reckless burning, and endangerment.

This incident serves as a critical reminder that any spark can endanger a community.

Always pull over immediately if your vehicle is damaged or not safe to operate. And check your vehicle for potential debris that may be creating sparks, whether from dragging chains or a damaged wheel.