Fire that threatened Old Bisbee was caused by human activity, authorities say

PHOENIX – A fire that prompted evacuations in Old Bisbee this week was caused by human activity, authorities said Wednesday.

That doesn’t necessarily mean the Locklin Fire was started on purpose, however. The investigation into the specific cause is ongoing, per InciWeb.

Tiffany Davila, spokeswoman for the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Tuesday that it’s the third wildfire in the Bisbee area in the last month.

The Locklin Fire started late Monday on the northern edge of Bisbee, prompting overnight evacuations for about 15 homes. Evacuation orders were lifted after the threat subsided Tuesday afternoon.

GID – #LocklinFire Update: Fire still at 106 acres, 30 % containment. Crews working today to secure fire line completely, perform mop-up and work toward full containment. For more information go to Inciweb: https://t.co/HX5B8e6SNJ#AZFire pic.twitter.com/ChvuGJnlml

— Bureau of Land Management – Arizona Fire (@BLMAZFire) April 27, 2022

In a Wednesday update, officials said the fire area was mapped at 112 acres and had been 30% contained. No building damage in the historic former mining town southeast of Tucson was reported.

Crews were working Wednesday to secure the fire line completely and address hotspots.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Jim Cross contributed to this report.

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