By Butch Meriwether KINGMAN – The Northern Arizona Incident Management Team officials announced Sunday morning residents of Pinion Pines, Getz Ranch and Pine Lake communities may now return to their homes. Re-entry Sunday into to the three communities is only being allowed by residents and they must provide proof of residency in order to gain entrance. Non-residents will not be allowed into the affected area Sunday. Officials are requesting that residents from the Pinion Pines and Getz Ranch communities enter from I-40 at DW Ranch Road and drive with your lights on and the Pine Lake residents are requested to use Hualapai Mountain Road and also drive with their lights on. According to the officials, they are in hopes of not creating a traffic jam on Hualapai Mountain Road if the residents enter from two separate locations. The speed limit currently in place for the three communities once people get into their settlements is 15 mph because there are still a lot of firefighters and equipment there. The 5,400 acre Dean Peak Fire in which 458 firefighters, three helicopters, six hotshot crews, three hand crews, 16 engines, 10 water tenders and several fix-wing aircraft, and support staff worked on has been designated as 90 percent contained. However fire personnel will continue to walk the perimeter to ensure there are no more hot spots as mop-up operations ensure. “I’m very excited to be able to be back in my home,” said Nora Speer and her husband who lives a short distance from the Hualapai Mountain Lodge. “I’m so thankful to the Pine Lake firefighters and the Mohave County deputy sheriffs who worked in our area to protect our homes. Some of the Pine Lake firefighters who, when allowed to leave their homes, visited the various homes in our area and watered the gardens for their friends and residents who had requested them to do so. We have put a lot of effort into our greenhouses and gardens and it just shows our local firefighters honestly care about us.” An informational “open house” was held last night at the Pine Lake Fire Station #62 in which approximately 50 residents attended and were allowed to ask questions of the officials. The residents were told that the U.S. Postal Service will not be delivering the mail that had been designated as to be delivered to the two affected areas. The mail has been placed in the “bulk mail” location at the main post office and residents will be required to pick it up there. The UPS and FedEx will be re-delivering any packages to the residents at no charge. In the interest of public safety, an area closure has been ordered by BLM. The area that remains closed is due to the BLM not wanting individuals driving across the burned area. The closure area is outlined as east of DW Ranch Road, north of Hualapai Mountain Road, north of Hualapai Mountain County Park, north of Pine Lake community, north of Wheeler Wash Road, west of Blake Ranch Road and south of Old Highway 93. The management team stated that as of now, only 285 personnel are now assigned to the fire and of that number, many will be heading home this evening. Management of the Dean Peak Fire will transition tonight at 8 p.m. form the Northern Arizona Type II Incident Management Team back to the Kingman Field Office of the Colorado River District of the Bureau of Land Management. According to fire officials, no structures or homes were damaged by the fire and there were no injuries sustained by either firefighters or residents.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Jul 2013 16:15:43 +0000
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