Fort Thomas Schools closed on Monday
By Jon Johnson
FORT THOMAS – Firefighters from throughout the state descended upon Fort Thomas on Saturday to help fight the Bryce Fire burning along the Gila River riverbed between Pima and Fort Thomas.
Due to recommendations from fire officials, all Fort Thomas Unified School District schools will be closed on Monday, May 12, out of caution.
There are 240 personnel currently assigned to the fire, which was listed at nearly 3,000 acres as of Sunday morning. Some firefighters were stationed at residences and other resources for fire protection overnight, and in some instances, used fire to burn existing fuels before the main fire approached.
In addition to crews on the ground, numerous air resources are being used to fight the fire, including scoopers and a helicopter with a water bucket. The aerial resources utilize water from San Carlos Lake and have used the Safford Regional Airport, 1LT Duane Spalsbury Field, for refueling.
The human-caused fire began May 7, just before 3:30 p.m., along the Gila River about three miles west of Pima. Twice, the fire seemed thwarted, only to come back tenfold.
The Pima Fire Department was first on the scene and appeared to have it knocked down. However, high winds and dry fuels soon helped it grow to 50 acres by 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Wildland firefighters battled it through the night and had it at 80 percent containment when it was still only 160 acres. However, high winds Friday morning helped the fire jump 25—to 30-foot containment lines, putting residences along Bryce/Eden Road and eventually those in Fort Thomas along the river corridor in the SET notice for evacuation as the winds swept the fire northwest toward Fort Thomas.
The fire crossed Bryce/Eden Road, and the bridge remains closed. On Saturday, the Arizona Department of Fire Management transferred command to the Southeast Zone Type 3 Incident Management Team under Incident Commander Lathe Evans.
The fire burned hot over Saturday night, with torching, long-range spotting, and flames reaching hundreds of feet into the air.
As firefighters worked to keep the fire out of Fort Thomas and in the river corridor, they were supported by bucket drops from a helicopter to cool down the fire’s edge.
On Sunday, firefighters continued to protect at-risk assets, including agricultural lands, infrastructure, utilities, residences, and the railroad on the other side of Highway 70. At this point, there have been no reports of damaged residences or other structures.
