Crooks Fire: More than 8,000 acres near Prescott burned; community meeting set for Thursday

P. Kim Bui, Arizona Republic
·4 min read

The Crooks Fire burning near Mount Union, about 10 miles south of Prescott, increased in size throughout Tuesday, but containment also rose to 20% as of Tuesday evening.

According to Inciweb, a website that tracks wildfire information, the fire was at 8,018 acres as of Tuesday evening.

The fire was reported on April 18, and the cause is still under investigation.

The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office updated areas under evacuation and the "set" status Tuesday evening.

The following areas are under "go" or evacuation status:

  • Mountain Pine Acres

  • Breezy Pines

  • Potato Patch

  • South Walker

  • Lookout Mountain

  • Mount Tridal

The U.S. Forest Service said fire crews wrapped Palace Station Historic Stagecoach Stop Cabin in a foil-like wrap designed to reflect heat away from the structure and cleared brush and low-hanging branches near it. The cabin is located in Crooks Canyon roughly 17 miles south of Prescott.

Getting hotter: Phoenix could hit 100 degrees as Crooks Fire smoke leaves city

Fire crews wrap the Palace Station Historic Stagecoach Stop Cabin as the Crooks Fire continued to burn near Prescott.
Fire crews wrap the Palace Station Historic Stagecoach Stop Cabin as the Crooks Fire continued to burn near Prescott.

The Prescott National Forest tweeted on Tuesday afternoon that a community meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at Embry Riddle University for an update on the fire. The meeting will also be livestreamed on the Prescott National Forest's Facebook page.

Winds pushed smoke from the fire north toward Prescott with reports of ash falling in Prescott and Prescott Valley on Monday afternoon, according to InciWeb.

Kyle Jacobson, an operations section chief for the Crooks Fire, said Monday that the fire became less active as the day progressed and crews used "aviation assets" to drop retardant on the southern parts of the fire while utilizing other tactics to prevent the fire from spreading further west.

"On Tuesday, very low humidity will combine with increasing south winds to produce near critical fire weather conditions," Inciweb states.

A post from the city of Prescott said that smoke impacts may continue through the week.

Tunnel Fire: Residents return home; US 89 reopens

Fire outlook and smoke forecast

Winds pushed the fire farther south and west on Monday, resulting in its growth.

Firefighters continued working on building fire lines south of Lookout Mountain toward Ash Creek and from Moscow Peak to Senator Highway. Crews improved lines on the northern and eastern sides of the fire.

On Tuesday, firefighters tried to protect Lookout Mountain structures, and aircraft assisted ground crews, "aggressively attacking any fires," according to an Inciweb update.

Crews were also building contingency lines to the west of the fire in case conditions changed.

Dry conditions and low humidity were expected in the fire area Tuesday afternoon. Wind gusts to 15 mph were forecast through Tuesday evening. Critical fire conditions were predicted for Wednesday and Thursday

Smoke from the fire was expected to spread to the north again on Wednesday, according to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. Prescott and Prescott Valley will continue to see smoke overhead.

About 786 personnel were working on the fire as of Tuesday evening.

Only two structures have been reported damaged since Monday, but additional information will be released when property locations have been verified and owners have been notified, forest officials said.

Where is the Crooks Fire burning?

Crooks Fire is burning about 10 miles south of Prescott in the west portion of Prescott National Forest, west of Big Bug Mesa, east of Lookout Mountain, northwest of Pine Mountain, southeast to Mount Tritle and south of Potato Patch.

The fire has reached Mount Union, Starlight Canyon, Mount Davis, Yankee Doodle Peak and Moscow Peak.

The Forest Service closed sites in Groom Creek and Lynx Lake recreation areas, White Spar campground, Prescott Circle Trail and the Prescott Basin on Thursday night. A full list of what is closed can be found on the Forest Service's website.

Evacuations in effect for Crooks Fire

A "set" alert was sent to people living in Ponderosa Park, Pine Flat and West Poland Road on Tuesday afternoon, saying the fire was threatening their area and that they needed to be ready to evacuate.

People evacuated from Walker Road north of mile marker 10 and west of Big Bug Mesa were allowed to return to home starting Monday at 3 p.m. The area will remain in "set" status, however. A full list of streets where residents can return was posted on Facebook.

The following areas are under evacuation or "go" status, according to the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office:

  • Mountain Pine Acres

  • Breezy Pines

  • Potato Patch

  • South Walker

  • Lookout Mountain

  • Mount Tridal

The following areas are under "set" status, meaning residents should be ready to evacuate:

  • Groom Creek

  • Walker North

  • Ponderosa Park

  • Pine Flat

  • Poland Road South

The American Red Cross said a shelter was set up for residents affected by the fire at the Yavapai College gymnasium, at 1100 E. Sheldon St. in Building 2, in Prescott.

If anyone has questions or needs assistance, they can stop by or call 1-800-RED-CROSS (800-733-2767).

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Crooks Fire: Blaze at more than 8,000 acres near Prescott