LIVE LOOK | Cody Fire seen from KGUN 9's Neighborhood Network Weather Camera
UPDATE 4 p.m. (5/29)
In its final update on the Cody Fire, the Southwest Area Incident Management Team 4 says crews have completed 859 structure assessments in Oracle.
According to the update, suppression repair operations will continue, focusing on landscape rehabilitation and mitigation of erosion along affected areas of the Arizona Trail.
No roads are closed at this time. Stage 2 fire restrictions remain in place.
UPDATE 6:30 a.m. (5/28)
All evacuation orders have been lifted, according to the Pinal County Office of Emergency Management.
The office says while all zones are now back to normal, power may still be out. Local utility companies are still working to repair damage caused by the fire.
UPDATE 5:45 p.m. (5/26)
Coronado National Forest is now reporting the Cody Fire at 90% containment, with no change in its size at 1,223 acres.
According to the Pinal County Sheriff's Office, only Zone 18, shown in green in the video below, remains in the 'GO' evacuation status. Zone 17, shown in yellow, has been downgraded to 'SET' status. More information in the video:
PCSO asks residents to drive with caution around Oracle and the surrounding areas, as a large firefighting presence will continue. Residents can also expect to see many utility workers as repairs get underway, according to PCSO.
UPDATE 7:30 p.m. (5/25)
The Cody Fire is now 83% contained and remains at 1,223 acres.
Changes to current evacuation zones:
Evacuation Zone 17 is returned to a SET Status.
Evacuation zones 1-16, 19, 20 & 21 have also been downgraded.
Evacuation zone 18 will remain on GO! – Status.
UPDATE 1:45 p.m. (5/25)
The Cody Fire remains at 47% contained and just over 1,223 acres.
The Cody Fire community meeting will be held at Biosphere 2 at 4:00 p.m. and streamed on the U.S. Forest Service—Coronado National Forest Facebook page.
UPDATE 7:30 p.m. (5/24)
Stefan La-Sky, Southwest Area Incident Management Team public information officer, confirmed the fire damaged one residence, destroyed five residences and destroyed eight other types of structures.
UPDATE 6:45 p.m. (5/24)
Evacuation statuses and road closures have been updated as firefighting efforts continue on the Cody Fire.
Effective immediately, evacuation zones 5, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 19 have been downgraded to SET status. Additionally, zones 1 through 4, 6 through 12, zone 20, and the community of San Manuel have all been returned to READY status.
Evacuation zones 17 and 18 remain under GO status at this time.
Road closures remain in effect at Cody Loop and Durant, as well as Cody Loop and the east end of Mount Lemmon Highway. Authorities are urging residents to avoid these areas and to stay clear of any active firefighting operations.
The Pinal County Sheriff's Office shared the updates on Facebook and encouraged the public to stay vigilant as weather conditions continue to change.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center, the Cody Fire has burned approximately 1,223 acres and is now 47 percent contained.
More updates will be provided as information becomes available.
UPDATE 9:20 a.m. (5/23)
The Cody Fire remains at 5% contained and just over 1,200 acres. The Southwest Area Incident Management Team took command of the fire Friday morning.
Helicopters and air tankers will be available as needed Friday. Additional resources will work to increase containment across the fire area.
UPDATE 4:30 P.M.
The Cody Fire is 5% contained, according to the Coronado National Forest.
The Coronado National Forest says the fire — spanning more than 1,200 acres — has impacted structures but has not yet confirmed the type or amount of structures.
UPDATE 11:00 A.M.
GO Status - approximately 1,100 people; SET Status - approximately 300 people, according to Coronado National Forest.
UPDATE 7:04 A.M.
The Coronado National Forest says the fire is still burning at 1,000 acres with zero containment. Officials say the fire spread throughout the night, pushing towards the east. Evacuation orders are still in place.
UPDATE 10:35 P.M.
The Coronado National Forest said the fire is now at at least a thousand acres. They said tomorrow they’re going to have more firefighters from Arizona and New Mexico.
People living in zones 5,13,14,15,16,17,18,19 have to evacuate. (Map below) People in the SET status, meaning an evacuation warning, are zones 1/2/3/4/6/7/8/9/11/12 and people living in San Manuel.
There are evacuation centers at Canyon del Oro High School and the Mammoth Community Center.
Lisa Stout lives in Oracle and said she had to evacuate. She said her husband is having to call off work on Thursday and her son is having surgery on Thursday as well.
“It’s like I’m watching a movie. My dream home that we’ve been able to work so hard for…the potential of it being burnt down right now is very realistic,” Stout said.
She said she is not going to reschedule her son’s surgery because she doesn’t want the fire to impact her family even more.
“It’s very hard for not just me but everybody in the community, all my neighbors and everything like that that are going through the same exact thing. It’s already impacted our life so dramatically that I refuse for it to impact my children anymore than what it already has,” she said.
UPDATE 9:30
The evacuation zone for the Cody Fire burning south of Oracle has expanded, according to emergency officials.
As of Tuesday evening, Zones 5 and 13 through 19 are now under “GO” status, meaning residents in those areas should evacuate immediately.
Zones 1 through 4 and 6 through 12 remain in “SET” status, and residents should be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice.
Authorities urge the public to follow official evacuation orders and stay updated through the Pinal County Emergency Notification System and local emergency channels.
UPDATE 8:00
According to the Southern Arizona Chapter of the American Red Cross, an evacuation shelter has been opened in response to the Cody Fire burning south of Oracle.
The shelter is located at Canyon del Oro High School, 25 W. Calle Concordia in Oro Valley.
Evacuees are encouraged to bring essential items, including medications, important documents, hygiene products, comfort items, snacks, and phone chargers.
Pets are welcome at the shelter. Red Cross teams are on-site to offer support and resources.
Residents are urged to follow local emergency guidance as fire crews continue their response.
Stay with KGUN 9 for ongoing updates.4o
UPDATE 7:45 P.M.
The Coronado National Forest said the fire is at least 400-500 acres and growing. There are some buildings that got damaged but they said they are not sure the extent of the damage just yet.
They said some of the challenges of fighting the fire include rugged terrain and brush in the area that quickly fuels the fire.
They also said the wind is pushing the fire along quicker and that today’s heat has been affecting the fire. The fire is not contained at this time. Crews are going to stay overnight to fight the fire.
UPDATE 7:00 p.m:
The Coronado National Forest has announced more road closures.
The previous closure has been reopened at the HWY 77 and 79 junction and is now closed at W American Ave and American Ave, which is open to local residents only.
Another closure has been announced at S Veterans Memorial Blvd towards San Manuel.
That area is open to local residents, the U.S. Forest Service said.
UPDATE 5:30 p.m:
Residents in San Manuel have been added to the 'SET' evacuation status, according to a post from Pinal County.
Pinal County officials recommend voluntarily relocating outside the area if possible. Residents can find a temporary evacuation site at Mammoth Community Center, 101 W. 5th St. in the town of Mammoth.
RVs and travel trailers can park at any park in the town of Mammoth, Pinal County officials say.
Officials ask everyone to stay clear of the area near the fire due to changing weather conditions. Arizona Department of Transportation has restricted access to residents only at the Highway 77 and Highway 79 junction.
KGUN 9's Cuyler Diggs takes a look at windy conditions to the north of the Santa Catalinas as the Cody Fire has led to multiple evacuations in Oracle:
ORIGINAL STORY:
Pinal County is asking some Oracle residents to evacuate due to the Cody Fire, which started at 3:29 p.m., according to the Coronado National Forest.
The area in the map below is currently in GO evacuation status, and county officials are asking anyone living in Zones 5, 16, 17, 18 and 19 in the map below to leave the area immediately. Zones 4 and 15 are currently in 'SET' status.
There is currently no information on the size of the fire, nor the cause. According to Coronado National Forest, the Cody Fire is east of Tuesday's Cedar Fire and the two are not connected.
Coronado National Forest reminds people to not fly drones in the area.
