The Whitlow Fire burned about 100 acres east of Queen Valley Saturday afternoon, prompting residents in the area to enter pre-evacuation status, Tonto National Forest officials said.
The fire was burning near a riparian area and extended north toward Hewitt Station Road and near Comet Peak, just a few miles east of the Queen Valley community.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Office said Queen Valley residents were on “settled” status, meaning residents should be on alert and ready to evacuate. Earlier in the day, Queen Valley was in a less severe ‘done’ status.
The #WhitlowFire is 100 hectares, located north of Hewitt Station, near Comet Peak and the community of Queen Valley. FR 357 is closed. 5 ned., Phoenix Handcrew & Mesa IHC respond. Type 1 helicopter and air tankers on order. Queen Valley residents have ‘set’ status. #TontoNF #AZFire pic.twitter.com/W5BMFEu9Ft
— Tonto National Forest (@TontoForest) October 5, 2024
According to Tonto National Forest officials, ground crews from Phoenix and Mesa were on scene to battle the fire, along with air support.
The cause of the fire was currently unknown.
This is a developing story. Visit @azcentral for more details.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Whitlow Fire near Queen Valley: What we know
