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Officials: Brush fire spreads to salvage yard near Black Canyon City

Posted at 7:41 PM, May 27, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-28 16:26:09-04

Fire crews say a brush fire, dubbed the Joe Hill Fire, that sparked near Black Canyon City spread to the nearby "C and S" auto salvage yard before jumping back out and growing in the area.

The Daisy Mountain Fire Department responded to the blaze around 5:30 p.m. Saturday after it sparked off of Terrace Springs Road just east of Black Canyon City.

The fire is being investigated as suspicious because of where the fire started, according to Fire Chief Mark Nichols of Daisy Mountain Fire. 

According to the Central Arizona Wildland Response Team (CAWRT), the Joe Hill Fire started off as a brush fire.

The brush fire scorched one-acre before firefighters were able to extinguish it, CAWRT said. However, the fire did continue burning; as of Sunday at 6 a.m., 60 acres were burned.

Evacuations were enforced by the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office. Several homes are at risk in the area. Two hundred pre-evacuation notices were handed out, per the American Red Cross. 

Thirty homes have been evacuated, according to Chief Nichols.

"Around 1 o'clock in the morning people are banging on my door and I just froze," Catherine Revell said after she was evacuated from her home. "These two sheriff's were there and they said you gotta get out, you got five minutes, get out now"

Six structures have been lost from the fire, including permanent structures, prefabricated homes, and travel trailer, Chief Nichols told ABC15. 

A shelter has been set up at Canon Middle School (4630 School Loop Road, Black Canyon City, AZ, 85324) for those needing assistance and those who were affected by the fire, according to the American Red Cross. Pets brought to the shelter will receive support from community members as well. 

"What families need to know is that they should listen to the authorities and if it's time to evacuate, they should do so," Collin Williams with the American Red Cross said. 

Fire crews from around the Valley are working on the brush fire; as of Sunday at 4 a.m. there were about 240 firefighters working together.

Fire agencies from Phoenix, Peoria, Yuma, Bear Jaw and State Fire are assisting. 

An investigation is ongoing at this time by the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office to determine if arson was a factor. 

Stay with ABC15 News and abc15.com for the latest update.