Crews continue efforts on the Hillside Fire; all SET statuses have returned to READY

Another storm system with 40 mph winds moved across the fire area on Thursday. Outflow winds stirred up fire activity across all sides of the fire. The high winds pushed the fire to the south along Cemetery Road, burned onto Bureau of Land Management lands, and toward the town of Congress. Operations launched Air Attack to reassess the fluid situation along with a helicopter to begin more aerial suppression work within a high-priority saddle to get the fire suppressed on that flank. A dozer was able to get fire line in on State Trust land along the southeast flank of the fire. Today, crews continue with efforts to get line in on that side as they work to tie it in to yesterday’s established dozer line. An infrared flight Thursday night showed some scattered heat throughout the fire’s interior with the highest concentration on the south end of the fire.

The northeast side of the fire stayed fairly quiet on Thursday with no movement along that side. Today, crews will continue mopping up and cold trailing, essentially checking for the heat that remains along the fire’s edge and within the interior. Along the northwest side, today crews will also continue checking for any remaining heat sources in and around the fire’s edge.

On Thursday, additional resources arrived on the fire including hand crews and engines. Currently, nearly 180 personnel remain assigned to the fire from the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, BLM, the US Forest Service and local cooperators.

The fire was the result of a lightning strike on Tuesday, July 9. Local fire resources responded to the smoke report but due to the fire’s location in inaccessible terrain were unable to access the fire. The next day, resources returned for additional monitoring and could not locate the incident due to the overnight precipitation. Wednesday afternoon, a wind event moved through Congress with 60 mph winds that rekindled the fire and significantly increased fire behavior. Single Engine Air Tankers, a Large Air Tanker along with ground resources engaged to slow the fire’s spread to the east and south. The fire is burning in steep, rugged terrain in some areas within dense Pinyon-juniper, grass and brush. The main priority for operations on any and all fires is the safety of the crews and the public. Crews are working under very hot and dry conditions. Extra ground resources arrived to provide additional support and allow for more crew breaks. On the southwest side of the fire, open mine shafts are creating another hazard for resources. Medic support teams are in place across the fire to support ground resources.

Per the Yavapai County Office of Emergency Management, all SET statuses have been lifted and residences can return to READY. Residents who live in Yavapai County can sign up for emergency alerts at: https://www.ycsoaz.gov/I-Want-To/Services/Sign-up-for-EmergencyNotifications.

Weather: Hot temperatures and dry conditions. Monsoonal moisture continues to increase through the weekend with greater chances for thunderstorms, including outflow winds over the fire area today and over the next few days.

Safety: Open mine shafts, extreme temperatures, rugged terrain and other identified hazards within the fire area remain a safety concern for fire operations. Firefighting aircraft and drones are a dangerous combination. Drones in the area could lead to accidents or slow down wildfire suppression operations. If you fly…we can’t.

Fire details:

• Start Date: Tuesday, July 9, 2024 
• Cause: Lightning
• Location: 3 miles north of Congress 
• Acres: 798 – Containment: 0%
• Personnel Assigned: 178
• Evacuation: None
• Resources: 4 hand crews, 11 engines, 2 water tenders, 3 helicopters, 1 dozer

Incident Information: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/aza5s-hillside-fire
Twitter: @azstateforestry: https://twitter.com/azstateforestry
Facebook: Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management: https://www.facebook.com/arizonaforestry
Ready, Set, Go: https://ein.az.gov/ready-set-go