SAFFORD — During Monday’s meeting of the Graham County Board of Supervisors, County Manager Dustin Welker said he’s getting ready to solicit the final round of bids for fire breaks along the Gila River.
He said the breaks that have been established proved their worth during the recent Reay fire.
“The fire breaks worked perfectly; they were very successful,” Welker said. “They back-burned from the Thatcher Bridge and also back-burned from a fire break we call the Howard Palmer Fire Break.”
The Reay fire, north of Central, started May 13 and grew to almost 700 acres.
This latest solicitation of bids from the county will seek placement of herbicide on the fire breaks established along the banks of the Gila River.
Meanwhile, another fire on the western edge of Graham County has forced a closure to traffic.
San Carlos Apache Emergency Response Commission announced the closure of Again Bridge due to the 60-acre Gopher fire in Peridot. The fire was discovered May 18.
It’s the second wildfire in the Peridot area this season. The Toyo fire started May 10 and reached a peak of 1,778 acres before 90-percent containment was announced May 16. The Toyo fire twice caused the full closure of U.S. Highway 70.
