COCHISE COUNTY, Ariz. (KGUN) — Fire crews in Texas and from the Department of Forestry and Fire Management have been battling multiple wildfires in the Texas panhandle for a week. One of those federal crews is from Arizona and is made up of three people from Cochise County.
Travis Adcock, A3S Engine Captain 631, and his team are stationed in Douglas and Elfrida. They have been in Texas for a week to help with the wildfires. He says this is the biggest fire he's had to put out.
“This is absolutely huge," Adcock said. "To me it looks overwhelming cause that’s a lot of acres. Over a million acres and then three or four different fires that engages everybody that can fight fire.”
The Smokehouse Creek Fire is the largest of the fires, having already burned 1,076,638 acres. Adcock says his crew was on their way to that fire last night before being diverted to a new fire. The windy and dry conditions are causing the fires to move quickly.
Adcock says the fires are affecting the locals, including ranchers, farmers and their livestock.
“You don’t want to mess with people’s livelihoods and that’s what’s happening," he said. "Your towns and stuff like that, but even the cattle and the feed and all the grazing, and all that kind of stuff. What are they going to do is what I’m thinking.”
Adcock says he and his crew will return to Arizona on March 14, after completing their two week maximum time at a fire. He also says it's rare for his crew to leave the state before the monsoons because of possible needs in the state.
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Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career reporting for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home. Share your story ideas with Alexis by emailing alexis.ramanjulu@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook.
