UPDATE: Potato Fire 40 Percent Contained, 102 Acres

VIDEO UPDATE HERE

10 AM  TUESDAY UPDATE:  The fire is 40 percent contained and 102 acres.

4 PM UPDATE:  The fire has grown to about 100 acres, and firefighters have the fire 20 percent contained.  Coconino County Sheriff’s Office investigators are currently on scene. A release from the CCSO says that investigators think the fire “may have originated from a campfire that was left unattended or otherwise became out of control.”

The fire started on private property near Potato Ranch.  If you know of any people or suspicious activity in the area Sunday evening, the Sheriff’s Office asks that you call them at (928) 774-4523 or toll-free at 1-800-338-7888.

FLAGSTAFF (NAZ Today)– Firefighters are fighting the Potato Fire, one of several new fires in northern Arizona this morning.  The fire is burning 60 acres on a mix of private property and forest land just north of the San Fransisco Peaks, off of Forest Road 418. Several subdivisions, mostly with vacation homes, are located along FR 418.

One structure has been destroyed and two remain threatened, according to Karen Malis-Clark of the Coconino National Forest.  “The fire started on private property in one of those rural subdivisions,” said Malis-Clark, “and we’re investigating to see what the (building) was that was destroyed.”

Approximately 40 firefighters from Flagstaff, Highlands, and Summit fire departments, along with the Coconino National Forest and Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, are on the scene.  Malis-Clark said that although there is no containment estimated for the fire, aggressive initial attack has slowed the fire’s movement.  “Even though it’s October and it’s starting to get chill, and humidities are generally going up, (firefighters) worked hard this morning to get line down because of the weather.  It’s warming up and the winds are increasing,” Malis-Clark said.

Members of the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) are manning road blocks in the immediate area around the fire.  Forest Service Road 418 is closed, as well as other small roads around the fire.  No evacuations have been ordered at this time.

The other fires that are burning are the 40-acre Palomino Fire, burning in grass and low brush four miles northeast of Woods Canyon Lake, and the 60-acre Bachelor Fire, burning on the edge of the Mogollon Rim north of Young on the Young Road and FR 519.

Tune in tonight to NAZ Today at 6 pm and NAZToday.com 24/7 for the latest updates as we continue to track these fires.

Potato Fire north of Flagstaff (Map Courtesy of the Coconino National Forest)