A piece of equipment used to help reduce the risk of a wildfire caught fire and almost started a wildfire. According to the Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority, its firefighters joined units from the Ash Fork Volunteer Fire Department and the Kaibab Estates West Volunteer Fire Department to respond to a reported vehicle fire on Highway 89 about four-and-a-half miles north of Drake Road.
Upon arrival, crews found a fire within a grinder owned by a private contractor conducting forest thinning work in the area. The fire extended into nearby brush and a mulch pile. Firefighters deployed hose lines to halt the fire’s forward progress into surrounding vegetation.
Units from the Prescott National Forest then took over firefighting efforts. No injuries were reported during this incident.