As of today, the Hillside Fire remains a challenge for firefighters battling the blaze enhanced by Thursday's 40 mph winds, the latest storm system's fierce breezes reigniting the flames on all fronts and driving the fire south near Congress, Arizona. Air support, including attacks from above and a strategic helicopter water dropping, has joined ground operations to curb the inferno's spread, especially in a critical saddle area showing stubborn heat signatures. According to the emergency bulletin released, efforts are ongoing to fortify and extend containment lines, further safeguarding the region from the fire's grasp.
The fire, initiated by a lightning strike on July 9, resisted initial attempts of control due to its inaccessible terrain and despite a weather-assisted pause, Wednesday's gale-force winds reawakened its fury—firefighters have since been tirelessly combating the renewed aggression with aerial and ground strategies, calling in reinforcements comprising nearly 180 personnel from multiple cooperating agencies including the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, and BLM, the US Forest Service, and from local resources, as they face not just flames but the dangers posed by the landscape itself such as open mine shafts.
Thankfully, areas of low activity along the northeast edge have granted firefighters the opportunity to transition to mopping up and cold trailing—an intensive method of detecting subtle heat near the fire's perimeter and vital to preventing its resurgence. Support crews have also converged on the northwest flank, diligently extinguishing any lingering hotspots threatening to reignite, according to updates from the incident report.
Thursday saw a boost to the engagement capacity with additional engines and handcrews arriving on scene, and currently, the personnel count stands at 178 dedicated to putting a stop to the 798-acre fire, which as of now, holds at 0% containment, these resources supported by four hand crews, 11 engines, three helicopters, and other essential wildfire suppression equipment, stated the emergency bulletin. Residents are being alerted by the Yavapai County Office of Emergency Management that SET statuses are back to READY level, inviting them to remain vigilant and sign up for emergency notifications through the county's system.
Monsoonal moisture, which might seem a reprieve, threatens with its own spells of erratic winds and thunderstorms—a mixed blessing that could either dampen the fire's progress or contribute to its unpredictability. Firefighters continue to contest with not only the inferno's whims but also the extreme temperatures and unwieldy terrain that comprise the battlefield.
