Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for the areas of Minnehaha, Fort Misery, and Horsethief Basin, while Crown King was placed on alert Sunday due to the Tussock Fire.

The fire is located just south of Prescott National Forest, and crossed into the national forest, said Bureau of Land Management spokesperson Mariela Castaneda.

Crown King closed to non-residents, while the Senator Highway (Forest Road 52) between Hooper Saddle (Forest Road 362) and Crown King (Forest Road 259) would close to traffic, according to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office.

No containment had been reported and efforts are focused on the north and northeast edges of the fire due to winds carrying the fire in that direction, Castaneda said.

The fire, which started May 8, has grown to the point that smoke from the fire could be seen from Interstate 17 near Table Mesa Road, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. Nearly 2,500 acres have burned.

The National Weather Service in Flagstaff announced that the smoke could cause impacts to I-17.

Mayer High School is the designated evacuation shelter, according to a Yavapai County evacuation notice.

Copper Canyon Fire pushed near last year’s Griffin fire area

After burning 2,560 acres, containment of the Copper Canyon fire stood at 20% as of Sunday morning, according to Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management Spokesperson Tiffany Davila.

Overnight crews successfully tied the Copper Canyon fire to the area of the 2020 Griffin fire, limiting the fire’s available fuel and movement, Davila explained.

Crews continued containment efforts on the northern and eastern edges of the fire, while they patrolled the southern and western parts for any hot spots or smoldering, Davila said.

“They have all of the southern and western sides secured and are working to finish the remaining portion of the fire,” she said.

Parts of U.S. 60 that passed through Globe remained closed Sunday due to guard rail damage, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. “Expect a lengthy closure,” the department’s message read on Twitter.

While Sunday’s high winds were a concern, threats to the area had “significantly decreased” due to it having been tied into the “black” of the burn scar, Davila explained.

“Even if the winds are pushing the fire still northward it has no where to go because it is already into the burn scar,” she said. “So it could smolder around in the burn scar, but it’s not going to take off and start running cause it’s already in the black. There’s no vegetation for that fire to feed off of.”

Reach breaking news reporter Miguel Torres at [email protected]or on Twitter @MTorresTweet.

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