A fire burning in Cornville near Page Springs Road has consumed around 1,200 acres as of 11 a.m., Monday, June 14, and forced residents to evacuate their homes. The fire was reported around 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 13, and was started just off of Cornville Road. The fire has since burned up to Page Springs Road, Verde Valley Fire District Chief Danny Johnson said.
“It started just off of Cornville Road, and it’s kind of, at this point, moving northeast toward the national forest,” he said.
As of 8 p.m. June 13, the fire had burned approximately 1,000 acres, according to an InciWeb incident information page containing updates about the fire. The blaze is being fueled by wind and dry fuels and is burning grass, brush, piñon and juniper very close to residential areas.
At least one outbuilding has been reportedly destroyed. While no homes have been lost, all residents to the east of Page Springs Road between Windmill Lane and the Oak Creek Vineyards were told to evacuate, according to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office. As of the morning of June 14, all evacuations for the Page Springs Road Area were lifted. The residents there have been told to stand by and be ready for evacuation.
The Verde Valley Fire District, Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, and resources from the state and federal level are currently assisting with containing the fire, Johnson said. According to InciWeb, 12 aircraft are assigned to the fire along with engines and a water tender. A hotshot crew has also been asked to assist.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and Johnson said they are unsure of when the fire will be contained.
Many residents in the area could be seen out in their yards dampening their property, loading up animals and belongings, and watching planes dump retardant on the flames near their homes.
Brylee Meier, a resident on Page Springs Road, described seeing the flames from her yard.
“They got it contained right here, and then all of a sudden, this huge flame jumps this way and you could see it coming towards the bushes,” she said. “You could see the flames. I thought our house was going to catch on fire.”
Camp Verde resident Cory Brady was in the area on June 13 when he heard about the fire and decided to check on a few of the people living in the area to see if he could lend a hand. He found a resident on Cornville Road who was on her own and trying to prepare to evacuate and decided to help.
He quickly got to work hosing down the properties of her and her neighbors, who were out of town, and digging a fire line around the perimeter. Brady said his girlfriend and a couple of other people also helped the woman pack things into her car. Luckily, the fire was contained about 50 yards from the house.
“Obviously they’re short-handed and the fires can go everywhere, so if I can help save a couple of houses and people’s lives and their livelihoods then why not, I’m going to jump in and do what I can do,” he said.
An evacuation center has been set up at the Mingus Union High School Gym at 1801 E. Fir Street in Cottonwood.
Stage two fire restrictions are currently in place on state land in Yavapai County.
Be aware of smoke conditions caused by the Cornville Fire. Take precautions if you have any existing respiratory condition that could be worsened by smoke inhalation.
