The Hazen Fire burning in southern Buckeye has burned 1,191 acres as of Thursday afternoon, according to the Arizona Department of Foresty and Fire Management, which also reported that the fire is 78% contained.
The Wednesday night shift observed minimal fire behavior and has completed “the last night shift patrols,” according to a statement released to InBuckeye.
“Today, crews will patrol the fire perimeter and mop-up remaining pockets of heat,” stated Tiffany Davila with DFFM. “Dozers and crews are working along the southeast perimeter to secure the fire's edge. It is possible to see smoke today as interior pockets of vegetation continue to be consumed.”
On Thursday morning, Bill Tavaras, DFFM operations section chief for the Hazen Fire, said the fire has primarily burned through vegetation along the Gila River bottom and surrounding washes.
He said crews successfully held containment lines along the north, east, and south edges of the fire overnight.
A spot fire that erupted on the southern end Tuesday accelerated planned firing operations, but firefighters were able to quickly contain the flare-up and secure the area during overnight operations, Tavaras said
Crews tied containment lines together and eliminated a problematic “dogleg” in the fire line, helping establish a stronger southern perimeter.
Along the north side of the fire, crews reported the northwest corner stretching from the canal near Highway 85 to Miller Road remains secure and continues to hold. Fire engines and ground crews are focused Wednesday on reinforcing and monitoring that section.
On the eastern perimeter, officials said a dozer line completed May 4 held successfully following firing operations, with no additional spot fires or breaches reported. Fire managers described the eastern containment line as “solid.”
Current operations are focused on patrolling, monitoring hot spots, and fully securing the perimeter before crews attempt to complete final containment by connecting control lines back to the highway corridor.
Officials said they expect smoke impacts to lessen throughout the day as suppression activity shifts from active firefighting to patrol and mop-up operations.
