The Hazen Fire burned about 980 acres south of Buckeye by Sunday evening and remained 0% contained as strong winds pushed the flames northeast and kept crews on edge. First reported around 3 p.m. Saturday near Hazen and Rooks roads, the blaze had been burning for more than 24 hours and was still active on its northeast flank Sunday night.
Officials said the fire reignited after easing somewhat overnight, then jumped fire lines and grew by 300-plus acres. Wind gusts reached about 30 mph, and a helicopter that had started the day making bucket drops was later grounded, forcing crews to bring in single-engine air tankers to drop retardant and water on spot fires along the perimeter.
For people living nearby, the fire was not an abstraction. Cellphone video showed flames racing through the Gila River bottom near the Parkside Travel Trailer Park in Buckeye, and smoke could be seen for miles across much of the West Valley. Noah Hill said the fire knocked down power lines and burned through the river bottom up to a canal. “It looked like it was right on top of us at that point,” he said. “My eyes are burning. Ashes are falling from the sky.”
Hill said the wind made aerial firefighting difficult. “The wind is crazy for planes to be flying,” he said, after watching the fire move through the brush. Alexis Byrd, who was among neighbors watching the fire, said, “It’s like a war zone almost — it’s scary.” Hill said he packed what he could before the situation worsened: “I packed my guns. I packed everything I could — cash, medicine.”
Saturday’s first response came from Buckeye Fire Department crews, and the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management later took command. A Buckeye firefighter said crews had previously cleared brush along the highway and around nearby property to reduce the risk of the fire spreading quickly, while Chad Gilliam joined other neighbors as they watched the brush burn Saturday. Officials said no evacuations or pre-evacuations were in place Sunday night, and no school closures had been announced.
The fire’s next phase will depend on the wind as much as the flames. With residents expected to see smoke and visible fire overnight, crews face a stubborn northeast flank and a blaze that has already shown it can overrun lines when conditions turn against them.