A wildfire that started in California on Saturday afternoon and forced some evacuations moved into Mohave County, destroying more than 500 acres in total.
The San Bernardino County Fire Department and several other fire departments responded to the fire, which started around 1:15 p.m. Saturday in the 900 block of Bush Street in Needles. It was called the Needles Fire, it engulfed and destroyed a home. No one was hurt. The Fenders River Road Resort in Needles, which includes a motel, campground and RV park, was briefly evacuated and evacuees were sent to a senior center in Needles.
“We are so happy that everyone is safe and Fenders is still standing strong,” the Fenders Resort posted on its Facebook page Sunday morning. “Thank you to all the wonderful people who helped fight this fire. Wow, that was CRAZY!”
The fire spread across the Colorado River and into Arizona’s Mohave Valley, and fire units from California and Arizona battled the blaze, California county officials said. The fire totaled 203 hectares at the last aerial photo at 6:53 pm on Saturday – 60 in California and 143 hectares in Arizona.
Officials in San Bernardino County reported the fire was 75% contained on the California side as of Sunday morning. Containment on the Arizona side was unknown. Needles Highway was closed from Interstate 40 to Old National Trails Highway on Saturday due to the fire, but had reopened at 6:40 a.m. on Sunday, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s Colorado River Patrol Station reported on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The cause of the fire is unknown. Anyone with information about the fire was asked to contact the Colorado River Station/Needles Police Department at 760-326-9200. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call the We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or leave information online at www.wetip.com.
This article originally appeared in the Arizona Republic: Evacuations from California’s Needles Fire brought the fire to Arizona
