Northwest Arizona communities under wildfire evacuation order
Communities in the Kingman area of Arizona are being evacuated as a wildfire burns near the Hualapai Mountain Park on Sunday, according to the Bureau of Land Managment.
Spokeswoman Dolores Garcia said the fire was reported around 2 p.m. and had burned about 600 acres by 6:30 p.m. The communities under evacuation order are about 11 miles southeast of Kingman.
They are: Pine Lake, Hualapai Mountain Park and Hualapai Mountain Lodge. The communties of Atherton Acres and Pinion Pine have been given pre-evacuation orders in case the fire moves in their direction.
Garcia said red flag warnings are in place in the area — advisories that mean continued winds and dry conditions are making for ideal wildfire spread. Crews on the ground are fighting the fire, Garcia said, but the winds may make it more difficult to contain.
The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, Garcia said. But the agency said it was not considered natural and likely human-caused. There are many campsites and hiking trails in the area.
The American Red Cross has set up a shelter at Palo Christi Elementary School in Kingman for evacuees.
Contact Alexis Ford at aford@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0335. Follow @alexisdford on Twitter.