Crown King Gladiator Fire – Day 2 Update 3

May 15, 2012 5 Comments
Gladiator Fire 5/14/12

Another update for the Gladiator Fire that is endangering our great town of Crown King, probably the last for the evening, unless something drastic changes.  Official reports now put the fire at around 1200 acres as it grew in during the day. Good news is that no more homes were lost today, so the fire crews are doing an amazing job. Fire crews are still battling the blaze and working hard.  We were happy to hear that the Santa Fe Hot Shot crew arrived in town this afternoon.  They were one of the crews that did an amazing job fighting the Lane 2 fire in 2008.  More crews are expected to arrive tomorrow to help with the efforts.

The Crown King General Store was open all day to the crews fighting the Gladiator Fire.  During the Lane 2 fire, many crews stated how much it meant to them the store was open.  Most fires are in areas without the luxury of a store they can stop in and get necessities like chap stick, cold sodas, or a hot sandwich.  Our goal is to keep the General Store open as long as it is safe to do so.

The town has transformed into what feels like a well rehearsed operation.  The crews all know the jobs they are to do in helping get the Gladiator Fire under control.  Crews are constantly coming in and out of town on their way to and from the fire lines.  It is always refreshing to hear Tony Nelson’s voice over the radio from the Horsethief Lookout Tower helping direct crews to areas he could see were flaring up.

On a positive note, Fox 10 News in Phoenix, ran a story tonight where they interviewed Carl Shaefer about the home he and Jackie built on the top of hill North of Crown King.  They built the home not only with features like solar and wind power, but built it with fires just like the Gladiator Fire in mind.  Watch the story below to see how all the features appear to have saved the home that had flames that were to close for comfort.

The crews will be working through the night battling the Gladiator Fire and working hard to protect the homes of Crown King. Check back here often for updates from the center of town. Here are some links to other videos news stations ran about the Gladiator Fire. Channel 3’s Good Evening Arizona story on Crown King and the Gladiator Fire:

NBC Channel 12’s evening story on Crown King and the Gladiator Fire:

The latest official update: Gladiator Fire Estimated 1,300 Acres; Community Meeting Scheduled 

(Posted May 14, 2012, at 6:34 p.m.) The Gladiator Fire was reported on Sunday, May 13, at 11 a.m. near the community of Crown King. The human-caused fire, which originated from a structure fire on private property, has moved onto the Prescott National Forest.
Gladiator Fire summary:
Fuels: Ponderosa pine, brush and chaparral
Terrain: steep, rugged, difficult access
Resources: 3 Type-1 crews; 4 Type-2 crews; 11 engines; 1 Type-1 helicopter; 1 Type-3 helicopter; 3 Type-1 airtankers
Southwest Area Type-1 Incident Management Team will assume management of the fire starting tomorrow at 7 a.m. Public information officers will be available at the Mayer High School from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. They can be reached at 505-235-4213.
A community meeting is planned for Tuesday, May 15, at 6 p.m. at the Mayer High School, 17300 E. Mule Deer Dr., in Spring Valley, Ariz.
The Gladiator Fire is threatening the community of Crown King and the Horsethief Basin. Additional threats are posed to forest service campgrounds, lookout towers, communication sites, power lines, and historic sites within the forest. Forecasted drier weather and associated strong erratic winds may complicate suppression efforts. Fire crews will continue working to supress the fire and provide structure protection to homes in the community.
All roads leading into Crown King are closed; this includes the Cleator–Crown King Road (Country Road 59), Senator Hwy to Crown King (Country Road 52) and Forest Road 193. A closure order is in effect for all Prescott National Forest land south of County Road 177.
A mandatory evacuation is in effect for Crown King. An evacuation center has been established. Red Cross personnel can be contacted at 928-237-6751. The Red Cross cannot provide fire information or evacuation order specifics.
Smoke sensitive person in affected areas may need to take action to mitigate the conditions. Remaining indoors, using air conditiong or temporarily moving to an unaffected area may be necessary. Got more smoke information and air quality forecasts, pleas visit the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality website at www.azfireinfo.com/links.asp#Smoke.
The public can obtain fire information via the following: Prescott National Forest Information Hotline, 928-777-5799; and Prescott National Forest website, www.fs.fed.us/r3/prescott.

5 thoughts on “Crown King Gladiator Fire – Day 2 Update 3”

  1. CK is in our prayers. Is there anything we Flatlanders can do to help our home away from home?

  2. Thank you so much for the updates from all of us in the Valley who are worried about Crown King! We were just there for lunch and FUDGE on saturday! Our hearts go out for the safety of the town, the people and the history it holds. Sending positive energy to the firefighters and to the people of Crown King.
    Love from Phoenix!

    1. Michelle, glad you enjoyed the fudge. Hopefully this will all be over soon and you can come back up for more.

  3. Thank you so much for the update! I am so grateful I am on your email list!
    Our prayers are with all of you up there, please stay safe.
    CK is our home away from home,, it is just heartbreaking to watch this unfold on the news. Today from here in Anthem we can smell the smoke, even more of a reminder of the tradgedy you are all experiencing.
    Please keep us posted and let us all know what we can do to help.

  4. Pingback: Crown King Gladiator Fire - Day 6 Update 1 - WITH FIRE MAPS

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