Firefighters are working in hazardous conditions as they battle a lightning-sparked wildfire in the Hualapai Mountains southeast of Kingman.
The Ridge Fire that ignited Sunday about five miles south of the community of Pine Lake was zero percent contained at just under 1,000 acres Wednesday afternoon.
“Monsoon season patterns bring some very erratic and gusty winds and that is the real danger to crews on the line,” Bureau of Land Management Fire Information Officer Dolores Garcia said Wednesday afternoon. “Winds yesterday were blowing upwards of 50 miles an hour with sustained winds at 30 miles an hour for a good portion of the day.
“That’s what led to much of the growth we saw yesterday and that’s what we’re looking at again this afternoon.”
Smoke blanketed the outline of the mountains Tuesday and Wednesday. More than 100 firefighters and Hot Shot crew members, aided by engines and limited air support, battled the flames from the ground.