VIDEO: The Coconino County Sheriffโs Office has placed several homes in the Forest Lakes area under a pre-evacuation status as a new wildfire burns in north-central Arizona. On Wednesday, the department placed the communities north and south of Highway 260 between milepost 286 and milepost 291 under โSET statusโ as a result of the Sheep Springs Fire, which ignited on Tuesday. This pre-evacuation notice includes the Canyon Point Campground.
According to the U.S. National Forest, several crews from the nearby Washington Fire have been reassigned to battle the Sheep Springs Fire, which has burned approximately 27 acres and has no containment as of Wednesday morning. Forest officials said the cause of the fire remains under investigation, but moderate fire behavior is expected to continue throughout Wednesday as winds continue through the region.
Several large air tankers have been deployed as crews continue on a โfull suppression strategyโ to fight the blaze. Wildland officials also want to remind the public that a closure remains in effect on the Tonto National Forest, including Stage 2 fire restrictions. A temporary flight restriction is also in place surrounding both the Washington and Sheep Springs fires.
