7/6/2008 9:22:00 PM Fire winds down but public closure remains
The Daily Courier
The public probably won't be able to get into the Crown King region until Wednesday.
A handful of southern Crown King residents also have to wait until then.
Most Crown King residents got to return home Saturday evening after rain and humidity helped calm the Lane 2 fire. They evacuated the area on June 29, the day after a lost camper apparently started the blaze.
By Sunday evening the 9,624-acre wildfire was 90-percent contained and the number of firefighters dropped to 299. No aircraft was necessary because no hot spots flared up, Type 2 Management Team spokesman Mike King said.
The fire is burning around Crown King, a small community nestled high in the Bradshaw Mountains about 20 miles south of Prescott.
Because of work to remove hazards, fire managers on Sunday pushed back the date when they anticipate residents on the south side of Crown King and the general public can return, now Wednesday instead of Tuesday.
It could be one to two weeks before Arizona Public Service replaces about eight power lines and restores electricity to most of the area south of the business district, King said.
Fire crews are busy removing hazardous trees in the Horsethief Basin area and checking for other potential hazards such as damaged propane tanks, King explained.
Yavapai County officials have brought up Dumpsters for residents cleaning up after the fire, King said, and roads are recently graded.
This fire was a VERY stupid thing that was caused by VERY stuip people. They need to 'pay' financially & community service hours to Crown King. They also need to apologizie before the residents of Crown King & then be told they are never to step foot in the area again.
