agriculture

Kirkland Fire Update: From Spark to Nearly Contained

What began as a reckless drunk driving incident near Hillside, Arizona, on August 1st, 2025, grew into a major wildfire threat. The driver was driving down the interstate on the bare rim. Several fires were started by those sparks, and they eventually merged to become the current Kirkland Fire.

The Early Days (August 1-2) Firefighters had to work quickly after the fire rapidly grew to 866 acres. Only 10% of the fire had been contained by the morning.

8 fire engines, 3 water tenders, specialized hotshot crews, hand crews, and even a bulldozer to assist in establishing firebreaks were among the nearly 100 firefighters who responded to the area.

The Kirkland area's residents were put on "SET" status, which required them to be prepared to leave at any time if authorities issued the order. When it was safe to do so, County Road 96 was reopened in both directions after having to be temporarily closed.

Controlled fires along a two-track road on the fire's northwest edge were somewhat successful for the overnight team. In preparation for more regulated burning operations, they moved southward into the valley between Sadies Peak and Kingsbury Mountain.

Firefighters realized they faced a difficult situation when it was predicted that the humidity would drop to just 6%.

To help in navigating the difficult terrain, additional resources were called in, such as specialized hand crews and a Rapid Extraction Module Support (REMS) team.

Progress by August 5th: By Tuesday, the news had improved significantly. Although more accurate mapping revealed that the fire was somewhat smaller than initially believed, it had spread to 913 acres, yet control had risen sharply to 60%.

In order to find any remaining hot spots and clean up remaining areas, firefighters were now "cold trailing" around the boundaries of the fire.

Engines were moving through the interior, searching for fire that was left. Due to the ongoing hot, dry weather, the fire was still burning and advancing along the northwest and western borders, but workers were rapidly using direct suppression techniques in those parts.

Yavapai County's fire is roughly 2.5 miles northeast of Hillside, and because of the dedicated work of firefighting crews, it is almost completely contained.

Ericka Piñon

Ericka Pinon is a state and federal reporter for Cactus Politics. She was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and is fluent in both English and Spanish. She is currently studying Journalism and Mass Communications at Arizona State University.

Recent Posts

Arizona Storm Knocks Out Solar Power, ACC Kevin Thompson Reveals Challenges During Peak Hours

A powerful dust storm that hit Arizona this week caused major problems for the state's…

7 hours ago

AG Mayes Joins National Coalition to Protect Children from Inappropriate AI Technology

Arizona's Attorney General Kris Mayes has teamed up with 44 other state attorneys general to…

7 hours ago

Rep. Crane Praises Copper Being Added to the 2025 Critical Minerals List

Representative Eli Crane is praising a significant federal decision that could boost Arizona's mining sector…

9 hours ago

AG Mayes Has Called For A Lawsuit Against Fraudulent Real-Estate Company

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has filed a civil lawsuit against what she alleges is…

9 hours ago

SNAKEBITE— 8.27.25— Ciscomani Relaunches Colorado River Caucus— Lake on Voice of America— New Policy Team, Biggs Leads, McCain, D.C., Much More...

Ciscomani Relaunches Colorado River Caucus Representative Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) has relaunched the bipartisan Colorado River…

10 hours ago

Ciscomani Relaunches Bipartisan Colorado River Caucus

Representative Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) has relaunched the bipartisan Colorado River Caucus to bring together the…

1 day ago