By DAVE HAWKINS
Las Vegas Review-Journal (Nevada)
Copyright 2006 DR Partners d/b/a Las Vegas Review-Journal
KINGMAN, Ariz. — Wildfires sparked by lightning last week have blackened thousands of acres in Northern Arizona.
Agencies and personnel battling the blazes, however, feel confident they have gained the upper hand in checking their spread.
The largest of the Arizona fires is called the Black Mountain Complex, a group of four fires that burned together in and around the Black Mountains between Kingman and Bullhead City. Almost 13,000 acres of mostly light fuels and brush have been consumed in the area.
Owners of a half dozen homes in the Golden Valley area were allowed to return home over the weekend after a precautionary evacuation Saturday. No structures have been lost, and only a few minor injuries are reported.
The fires, which were fought by almost 550 personnel at their height, are 80 percent contained. Total containment is forecast for Thursday.
Lightning strikes last week are also blamed in more than a half dozen fires that burned more than 1,000 acres on various portions of the Hualapai Indian Reservation.
Most of those fires are reported contained or close to contained.
Fire information officer Drusila Clarke said the Ranger 2 Fire is currently causing the most concern among the reservation fires.
She said that fire has consumed more than 500 acres near the tribe’s Grand Canyon West Resort, about 45 miles southeast of Las Vegas. Clarke said no structures are threatened by the Ranger 2 Fire.