Report says state, Forest Service will split $14M bill to fight Goodwin Fire
Jul 26, 2017, 7:21 PM
(Twitter Photo/@azstateforestry)
PHOENIX — Arizona and the Forest Service will reportedly split the more than $14 million that was spent fighting the Goodwin Fire near Prescott.
The Daily Courier reported the bill was $14,569,239 as of this week, but that number was expected to increase.
“It will probably go up some when all billing is completed,” Prescott National Forest Service spokeswoman Debbie Maneely said.
The money spent included everything from firefighting personnel to equipment and vehicles. The most expensive part of the fight was air support, which cost more than $4.5 million.
Yavapai County Emergency Manager Denny Folk told the Courier that more than $14 million may seem like a lot of money, it was nothing compared to the amount of property the fire threatened.
“We had $807 million dollars of personal property exposed to fire that was in harm’s way,” he said.
The Goodwin Fire broke out on June 24 and quickly spread. At one point, it threatened the communities of both Mayer and Dewey-Humboldt, parts of which were evacuated.
Gov. Doug Ducey declared a state of emergency because of the fire that allowed him to send $200,000 to firefighting efforts.
“This emergency declaration will ensure every necessary resource at the state’s disposal is made available to assist firefighters and provide aid to displaced residents,” the governor said in the release.
Filing the emergency declaration was also a requirement for Arizona to request federal aid.