The 'Greer Fire,' which has been burning in eastern Arizona since May 13, has prompted Governor Katie Hobbs to declare a state of emergency as the blaze rapidly expands, engulfing more than 20,000 acres of land. According to ABC15, the fire is currently at 0% containment. Hundreds of residents in Apache County have been forced to evacuate, with Governor Hobbs authorizing $200,000 in emergency funding to aid firefighting efforts. She also advocated for a 15% increase in wildland firefighter pay, noting that "they are not well paid and they deserve the raise."
With worries mounting under a red flag warning, signifying that conditions are ripe for fires to quickly spread, evacuations have intensified. Forestry officials continue to fight to contain the fire, which is stubbornly resisting control. The fire has prompted the closure of State Route 260 and additional roads, exacerbating the chaos that has prompted "GO" and "SET" evacuation orders in and around the Eagar and Greer regions. These terms indicate immediate evacuation or preparedness to leave at a moment's notice, respectively. The multiple road closures include a stretch of State Route 260 between mileposts 380 and 394 near Greer and State Route 261 between mileposts 404.9 and 412.5, as detailed by Fox10 Phoenix.
Multiple structures have been destroyed by the Greer Fire, and Fox10 Phoenix reports that the fire originated on private property, though its cause remains unknown. Navopache Electric Cooperative has shut off power to the area due to the fire, yet they could not confirm damage to transformers when they conducted inspections. The natural disaster brings to mind the Wallow Fire of 2011, recognized as Arizona's largest wildfire, burning in roughly the same area.
Those in need of shelter have options such as the Apache County Fairgrounds in St. John's and the Alpine Community Center. The Red Cross Arizona reported the opening of another shelter at Saint Johns High School. Governor Hobbs' visit to the wildfire's command center on May 17 was a sobering reminder of the scale of this disaster. "I could actually start smelling it while we were on the plane," she told Fox10 Phoenix. In a gesture of federal support, FEMA has authorized funding to cover up to 75% of eligible firefighting costs, as fires threaten to impact even more homes and lives.
