Buckeye Fire closes State Route 85 after six-acre brush blaze

A buckeye fire burned six acres Saturday afternoon near Hazen Road and Rooks Road, forcing the closure of State Route 85 as flames moved west and southwest. Firefighters said the blaze began in the river bottom area about a mile east of the highway and just south of MC 85.

The fire was spotted around 3 p.m., with smoke visible for miles across Buckeye. APS de-energized power lines in the area for safety, and a handful of customers lost power after the fire damaged some electrical equipment.

State Route 85 Closure

Crews shut down State Route 85 because the fire was advancing toward the west and southwest. People in the area were told to stay in their homes, and no evacuations had been ordered.

Firefighters said access to the river bottom made the response harder. Crews were allowing the fire to burn through plants and brush in that area while working to stop its forward progress on the west side.

Hazen Road and Rooks Road

The call was upgraded to a second alarm as crews worked the fire in the river bottom. That response matched the difficulty of reaching the burn area and the need to keep the fire from pushing farther west.

For drivers and nearby residents, the immediate issue was the highway closure and the utility outage, not the size of the fire alone. The clearest next step for anyone in the area was to avoid the closed stretch of SR 85 and stay inside while crews held the line on the west side.