Crooks Fire burning near Prescott grows to 1,600 acres

PRESCOTT, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) - The Crooks Fire that is burning near Prescott is now roughly around 1,600 acres, according to the Prescott National Forest. The fire started Monday morning. Containment is still zero. On Tuesday afternoon, sheriff officials said Potato Patch, Breezy Pones and Walker Road south of Lynx Lake are being evacuated. Areas already told to evacuate include Look Out Mountain, Mt. Tritle, Mount Union, Camp Kippa, Camp Kiva and Mt. Tridal. An evacuation shelter is now at Yavapai College gym in Prescott.

Fire managers say the fire was active Monday night and crews focused on protecting structures and burnouts to clear fuels. The weather is not helping. A Red Flag Warning is in effect through 8 p.m. on Tuesday due to strong winds and low relative humidity. The goal Tuesday is to keep the fire south of Fire road 261 and east of Senator Highway, according to fire managers. About 181 people are working on the fire, but fire managers say they don’t expect to have full containment for a couple of weeks.

If you are heading to the area or live in the area, expect road closures. “As a reminder to the public, with the increased fire vehicles in the area, for public and firefighter safety, people should not travel into any of the fire area,” according to InciWeb. To get the latest information on the Crooks Fire, visit the InciWeb report here.

Here’s a look at road closures in the area.

• Senator Highway is closed from Mile Post 7 to Goodwin Road
• Goodwin Road: Crown King to Senator Highway
• Walker Road: Blocked at Senator highway
• Lower Wolf Creek Road: Closed at Senator Highway
• Big Bug Mesa Road: Closed at Goodwin Road

A portion of the Prescott National Forest is closed, as well.

Copyright 2022 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.