Heavy smoke visible as river bottom fire burns in Buckeye

BUCKEYE, Ariz. – The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management has taken command of the incident from the Buckeye Fire Department. The fire has officially burned 273 acres and is 0% contained after we were told earlier that it was completely contained.

The blaze started around 2:30 p.m. on May 2 and continues to burn.

Local perspective:

“I got calls from, like, 20 people all at once, and they’re like, there’s a fire right next to where you’re staying at,” said Buckeye resident Noah Hill.

Hill was on his way home after work when he was told about Saturday’s fire in Buckeye.

“I was thinking about my dogs the entire time,” Hill said.

Hill lives in an RV near the equestrian center east of where the fire started and says he was told to evacuate—but westward winds changed those plans.

“Whenever I pulled up here, there’s horse trailers with 10 plus horses leaving. Leaving the premises. I noticed that the winds were moving south-southwest. So I figured it’s going to be safe,” Hill said.

What they’re saying:

At 9:00 p.m. Saturday, Asst. Fire Chief Rayne Gray stated, “Crews continue to work within the perimeter to secure and improve the contained area. There is no further fire spread, no evacuations, and no reported injuries at this time.”

The backstory:

Hundreds of acres burned in a fast-moving brush fire as crews from across the West Valley were forced to hold the line, unable to directly access the flames.

“It’s burning some really heavy fuels right now on the river bottom. But your creosote trees. That’s why you’re seeing the large amount of smoke and fire behavior,” said Buckeye Fire Dept. Battalion Chief Scott Balak.

Highway 85 was shut down in both directions for hours as the fire threatened the area. Some residents were left without power for a time after officials say the fire damaged power lines.

Crews managed to stop the blaze’s westward advance at the Highway 85 bridge, with natural barriers helping hold the line. State land teams are now preparing overnight operations to keep the fire from spreading further.

“We’re doing is surrounding it on all four sides and letting it burn where we can, and protect anything from extending,” Balak said.

What you can do:

Balak says there was a crash on Highway 85 that caused injuries because of people not paying attention and focusing on the fire while driving. He says if you can, avoid the area as crews continue to work.

What’s next:

Balak says his crews will be staged here all night as they keep an eye on the fire and any potential shift in winds. 

Area Traffic:

The Arizona Department of Transportation said northbound State Route 85 reopened near Buckeye around 8:35 p.m. on Saturday.

Map of the area

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