Northbound Interstate 17 near Cordes Lake closed by wildfire

Lina Portman3 weeks ago

0 1 minute read

The Yavapai County Office of Emergency Management announced a pre-evacuation status for Cordes Lake residents as the Ironwood Fire spread rapidly.

Residents in the area should follow orders from local authorities, the statement said.

The wildfire broke out after an RV caught fire and munitions inside exploded, causing the northbound lanes of Interstate 17 to close Friday afternoon, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

The occupants of the campervan fled before the munitions ignited, the fire then spread to nearby brush and caused a forest fire.

The Bureau of Land Management named the wildfire the Ironwood Fire because it spread on the east side of I-17, endangering structures within a quarter-mile radius. The fire is believed to have consumed approximately 200 acres.

At 3:53 p.m., the Arizona Department of Transportation announced the closure of northbound I-17 just south of Cordes Lake, about an hour and a half north of metro Phoenix.

Around 7:30 p.m., ADOT opened the left lane of northbound I-17, with no expected opening time announced for the right lane.

The agency alerted southbound drivers that smoke in the area was creating low visibility.

No injuries were reported, DPS said, as traffic headed north and south.

Lina Portman

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