Officials: Doce Fire now 10 percent contained
Jun 18, 2013, 5:51 PM | Updated: Jun 20, 2013, 3:13 pm
PHOENIX — Firefighting crews continued to battle a human-caused wildfire burning near Prescott on Thursday, which has burned between 6,400-7,500 acres, officials said.
The blaze is now ten percent contained. No structures have been damaged. Strong winds are expected in the area.
More than 600 personnel are working to get the fire under control. Nearly 500 homes, including those in the Granite Basin and Black Jack areas have been evacuated. The U.S. Forest Service has notified residents in the Williamson Valley area be ready to evacuate.
Officials will host a meeting Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Prescott High School auditorium to update the community.
The Doce Fire broke out Tuesday about eight miles northwest of Prescott, Ariz., the U.S. Forest Service said. Witnesses said the fire started near Iron Springs Road.
Officials said air tankers and helicopters were expected to help fight the blaze.
Investigators said the exact source f the fire is under investigation.
The Red Cross has established an evacuation center at Yavapai Community College that can accommodate about 330 people.
Multiple resources have responded, including air tankers, helicopters, Type 1 crews and Type 2 initial attack crews.
A second DC-10 was brought in from Colorado to aid in the fight.
KTAR’s Jim Cross contributed to this report.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
