(The Center Square) – The Greer fire in eastern Arizona now involves nearly 21,000 acres. That is up from 7,000 acres on Thursday.
The wildfire started around 11 a.m. Tuesday in the unincorporated community of Greer in Apache County. The blaze doubled in size Wednesday as it pushed east toward Eagar and Springerville.
“Crews were working in the wind all day yesterday trying to secure all of this eastern edge, northern edge, and of course the western edge,” said Mike Wallace, operations section chief for the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, in a Monday update posted on Facebook.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Grass, shrubs, and timber are listed as fuel for the fire. Strong winds Monday, including gusts up to 40 miles per hour, are also expected to be a factor for the approximately 736 firefighters battling the blaze.
“We did have one aircraft over the fire yesterday and it was air attack,” Wallace said in his Facebook update. “Into the night shift, last night, they did the same and they left us in a good spot this morning to continue to patrol and secure.”
The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management is hosting a Fire Information Public Meeting at 6 p.m. It will be held at Round Valley High School Auditorium and a livestream will be available on YouTube. Members of the Incident Management Team and forestry representatives will be on site to discuss plans and ongoing fire operations.
A shelter for evacuees is open at the County Fairgrounds in St. Johns and the Alpine Community Center. Meanwhile, officials say that Highway 260 is closed in both directions near Greer. Motorists in need of travel information are advised to visit az511.com for more information.
Governor Katie Hobbs declared a state of emergency on Saturday. In a press release, the governor said that her heart is with all the people impacted.
“The Greer Fire has burned thousands of acres of land, destroyed multiple structures, and forced families to leave their homes,” she said. “I am grateful to the firefighters and first responders who are working around the clock to keep communities safe, and I will continue to do everything in my power to help them fight this terrible fire.”
