States Of Emergency Declared As Museum Fire Burns 1800 Acres

Late Monday afternoon, Coconino County Board of Supervisor’s Chair Lena Fowler and Flagstaff City Mayor declared states of Emergency to address the impact of the Museum Fire. The declaration allows for Coconino County and the City of Flagstaff to utilize emergency funds from available sources and allows Governor Ducey to provide additional emergency state funding and resources to help contain the fire.

Ducey’s office is closely monitoring the fire according to a statement released early Monday. Ducey’s office is in regular communication with the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM), the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs (DEMA), the U.S. Forest Service, Coconino County, City of Flagstaff and other federal, state and local agencies.

“This is a top priority, and we continue to take all efforts to protect people, pets and property,” said Governor Ducey. “We are praying for the first responders and firefighters working around the clock to keep everyone safe. We urge residents in the area to heed warnings from officials and be prepared to evacuate if necessary.”

Current Known Status of Museum Fire

As of 7:30pm Monday night, the Museum Fire had burned 1,800 acres and was 0% contained. The fire started around 11 am on Sunday and the cause is still unknown. According to Coconino County officials, the cause is being investigated as a human caused fire.

There are currently over 600 fire and emergency management personnel working the Museum Fire.

At 6pm Monday evening, command of Museum Fire operations were taken over by the Type 1 Southwest Area Incident Management Team 2.

“Ready-Set-Go” Status

Pre-evacuation (“Set”) notices:

“Set” notices are in effect for the following areas around Flagstaff:

West of Hwy of 89 from Railhead north to Townsend-Winona, including the KOA Campground
Christmas Tree Estates
U.S. Forest Service Peaks Ranger Station Office
Silver Saddle
Hutcheson Acres
McCann Estates
All of Timberline communities including: Little Elden Springs, Black Bill Park, Wupatki Trails and Pine Mountain Estates

What To Do

Coconino County has issued the following advice for people living in the pre-evacuation (“Set”) areas:

Be aware of the hazards that can threaten your community.
Register with your county/tribal emergency notification system.
Connect with your Emergency Management/Sheriff's Office on social media.
Take steps now to prepare for seasonal threats.
Make a family evacuation and communication plan that includes family phone numbers, out-of-town contacts and family meeting locations.
Build an emergency kit with enough food, water and necessary supplies for at least 72 hours. Start with the five Ps; people and pet supplies, prescriptions, papers, personal needs and priceless items.
Check with your neighbors, family, friends and elders to ensure they are ready.
Keep up to date on local news, weather watches and warnings.

Evacuation (“Go”) Notices:

A “Go” notice has been in effect from 6pm Monday evening for “all persons living, working and accessing a home from Mount Elden Lookout Road”. This "Go" notice is in effect until further notice in order for fire personnel to conduct burnout operations.

A “Go” notice was issued on Sunday, July 21 for the Coconino National Forest recreational areas of Forest Rd. 420 to Hwy 89 (Mount Elden Lookout) and Schultz Pass Rd. to private land.

Scam Calls For Evacuation

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office has announced that residents throughout the Flagstaff area are receiving scam calls telling people to evacuate their homes. The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office is not calling residents to evacuate. All evacuation notices will come through the Coconino County Emergency Notification System. Currently the evacuation area is for those along Mount Elden Lookout Road. If you or someone you know is receiving these calls, please report the call to 928-774-4523, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Non-Emergency number.

Stay Updated

Updates from the incident managment team can be found on the Museum Fire's Information Facebook page.

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