GREER, AZ — On Monday, Arizona State Forestry officials announced the 'Greer Fire' has been fully contained.
Last week, all 'GO' evacuation orders were downgraded to 'SET' status.
The wildfire, which sparked on May 13, prompted evacuations for multiple communities in eastern Arizona's Apache County.
As of Monday, the fire is 100% contained. Officials say "smoke is likely to be visible as isolated interior pockets of fuel continue to burn."
#GreerFire fully contained & command transitions to @A_SNFs.
— AZ Dept. Forestry and Fire Management (@azstateforestry) May 27, 2025
Fire 100% contained but smoke likely to still be visible as isolated interior pockets of fuel continue to burn. Firefighters remain on incident conducting patrols.
Motorists traveling through the fire area are urged… pic.twitter.com/JzruawxMvz
Due to improved containment, everyone previously under 'GO' evacuation orders has been downgraded to 'SET' status, meaning residents and business owners may begin returning.
WATCH: On Monday evening, fire officials provided an update on the firefighting efforts
ADOT also announced Monday that Highway 260 is reopened, which had been closed in both directions since the start of the fire.
On Saturday, Governor Hobbs announced that she was declaring a state of emergency in response to the Greer Fire.
The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management says multiple structures have been destroyed in the fire and the mayors of Springerville and Eagar have declared a State of Emergency.
Governor Katie Hobbs traveled to the Greer Fire to receive a tour and briefing from officials. Watch in the player below.
EVACUATIONS & CLOSURES
'GO' evacuations for the following communities have been downgraded to "SET" status:
- Greer
- South Fork
- West of Highway 261
- South of Highway 260
- West of River Road
A 'SET' order for evacuations was previously in place for the following:
- All Eagar residents who are south of State Route 260 and between River Road and the SR260/180 junction.
SET status means everyone should be prepared to evacuate by packing a go bag, gathering prescription medications, important documents, and other necessities.
SEE AN INTERACTIVE MAP OF CURRENT EVACUATION ORDER AREAS HERE.
The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest has issued a closure order for parts of the National Forest lands.
Stage 2 Fire Restrictions are also in effect prohibiting fire, campfire, or stove fire, including charcoal briquettes and smoking.
SEEKING SHELTER?
- Apache County Fairgrounds: located at 825 4th N in Saint Johns, AZ.
- Round Valley Rodeo Grounds: located at 7 US-180 in Springerville, AZ - for RVs and/or large animals.
- Alpine Community Center: located at 12 County Rd 2061, Alpine, AZ - is open by request who need a safe space, please call Chief Travis Noth at 928-245-1118 for assistance.
🚨The evacuation center at Round Valley High School is CLOSED, and a shelter has opened:
— Red Cross Arizona (@RedCrossAZ) May 14, 2025
Saint Johns High School
300 South Redskin Dr.,
Saint Johns, AZ 85936#GreerFire #apachecounty https://t.co/SLKOeLpFzo pic.twitter.com/dOuWAIsVoI
FIRE CONDITIONS AND POSSIBLE CAUSE
The area was under a Red Flag Warning for several days, meaning fires that do spark could grow rapidly because of favorable fire conditions.
Early on, the Navopache Electric Cooperative said it shut off power to the area.
It's not yet clear what caused the fire, but Greer Fire District officials say it may have been caused by a "damaged electrical transformer, damaged by high winds."
However, Navopache Electric Cooperative then provided the following statement: "Cause: Believed to be a damaged electrical transformer, damaged by high winds." Navopache Electric Cooperative (NEC) would like to clarify this misleading statement. After being notified of the fire, NEC was dispatched, and the area was deenergized. Upon inspection, we were unable to locate any damage to our transformers, which could have indicated a failure and possible origin of the fire. The cause of the fire is still under investigation."
Last Thursday, fire officials gave a detailed breakdown of trigger points with the Greer Fire and efforts crews have underway to combat the blaze. Hear from them in the player below.
Valley fire departments, including Phoenix, Salt River, Peoria, and Scottsdale, were assisting with fire suppression and safety operations.
The Town of Eagar had been asking residents and businesses to conserve water. Officials tell ABC15, "This measure is critical to ensure adequate water supply for firefighting and emergency services. Please limit non-essential water use until further notice."
Watch how Apache County leaders are working to prevent future wildfires:
Springerville Mayor Shelly Reidhead told ABC15 that she reached out to Representative Eli Crane about getting help with forest mitigation. She suggested closing the forest when there's a drought, even logging the area, which is also the location of the Wallow Fire burn scar.
"Help us manage it...we're just primed and ready for a huge forest fire," Mayor Reidhead said.
Rep. Crane later released the following statement: "We’re in touch with local, state, and federal officials regarding the Greer Fire. Last night, Arizona’s request for a Fire Management Assistance Grant declaration was approved by FEMA. This will ensure critical federal resources are available as efforts continue to contain the fire. Earlier today, I participated in a Natural Resources Hearing touching on many of the topics raised by the Mayor, including the House’s recent passage of the Fix Our Forests Act. We ask everyone to pray for those impacted and the heroes fighting the fire.”
This morning, I joined @NatResources for a crucial hearing on strengthening land management through the Fix Our Forests Act.
— Rep. Eli Crane (@RepEliCrane) May 15, 2025
We must ensure #AZ02 receives the necessary resources to mitigate future disasters and build on the momentum we're seeing with 4FRI. pic.twitter.com/tWbJss6Myp
HOW TO DONATE
If you want to donate to the evacuees, items can be dropped off at the Springerville Annex Building, located at 309 S Mountain Ave, Springerville, AZ, 85938.
Items that can be donated include: water, electrolytes, hygienic items, individually packed items/food, baby diapers, and formula.
The donation center will not accept anything homemade.
It's not only humans that are in need of help and shelter. Volunteers at the Apache County Fairgrounds are working around the clock to help the animals that were also forced to evacuate their homes and lands. Watch more in the video player below:
