San Carlos Apache declare state of emergency due to fire
Kalle Benallie
ICT
A brush fire named the Watch Fire has devastated tribal citizens, homes and structures on the San Carlos Apache tribe in eastern Arizona that began Wednesday evening.
The fire was spread further by winds on Thursday and spilled into the downtown area of the reservation. The fire has burned 1,115 acres so far. The San Carlos Apache Forest Resources Program said on Thursday evening that it was at zero percent containment.
"We have endured fires before, but the human scale of this one is particularly devastating, " San Carlos Apache Tribe Chairman Terry Rambler said. "Unfortunately, multiple families lost homes. It was horrible all the way around. I have received reports of families leaving with nothing, elders having no transportation, kids running with no shoes. We have never experienced anything like this."
At least 13 homes have been destroyed by the blaze leaving 75 people homeless and more than 400 people have been evacuated, according to a tribe’s press release issued Friday. The Watch Fire is the most serious structural fire in San Carlos in at least 30 years.
The tribe has declared a state of emergency and requests disaster assistance from Arizona and the United States.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau data, the San Carlos Apache reservation, two hours east of Phoenix, is home to about 10,200 people and is made up of 1.8 million acres.
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No injuries or deaths have been reported, said Robyn Broyles, a spokesperson for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, to the Associated Press.
San Carlos High School and Bingo Hall at Apache Gold Casino have been designated as evacuation centers. Shelter assistance will be provided by the San Carlos Apache Gaming Enterprise and San Carlos Apache Healthcare Corporation.
Arizona is also facing the Freeman Fire, formerly the Wash Fire, that has burned 26,000 acres. Its burn area in Pinal County is just southeast of the San Carlos Apache Tribe.
The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management said it has not been contained after wind shifted the flames in all directions on Thursday.
The San Carlos Apache Police Department said it is conducting an investigation into the Watch Fire with federal authorities.
“We are asking for your assistance in not cleaning up any burnt structures or debris as we’ll be sending investigators to take photos for the investigation. Our goal is to ensure the person(s) responsible for this fire is caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” read a statement.
The Associated Press contributed to this story
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