The San Carlos Apache Tribe has declared a state of emergency and requested disaster assistance from the state and federal governments to battle the Watch Fire that has destroyed at least 13 homes leaving at least 75 people homeless and forcing the evacuation of more than 400 people. Arson is suspected and under investigation.
“We have endured fires before, but the human scale of this one is particularly devastating,” said San Carlos Apache Tribe Chairman Terry Rambler. “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.”
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The Watch Fire is the most serious structural fire on the Reservation in at least 30 years. No injuries or fatalities have been reported.
“We are thankful for the first responders as well as Governor Katie Hobbs, Graham County, Gila County, the Town of Globe, the White Mountain Apache Tribe, the Ak-Chin Indian Community, the Tonto Apache Tribe, and to all those who have provided their assistance,” Chairman Rambler continued.
The fire began about 11 p.m. Wednesday night and spread into the bed of the San Carlos River. Firefighters quickly responded to the brush fire but high winds from a Thursday afternoon thunderstorm caused the fire to rapidly spread.
Fire damage stretches between the towns of San Carlos and Peridot. The fire has impacted 1,115 acres is currently zero percent contained. The fire has damaged power lines in San Carlos knocking out power to the community.
A Type 3 fire response team is on site and a Complex Incident Management Team will take over management of the fire this afternoon.
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Levi "Calm Before the Storm" Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder, publisher and editor of Native News Online. Rickert was awarded Best Column 2021 Native Media Award for the print/online category by the Native American Journalists Association. He serves on the advisory board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. He can be reached at [email protected].
