Freeman Fire near Oracle prompts residents to take action
ORACLE – The Mountain Vista Junior High School campus in Oracle became base camp for about 250 emergency responders battling the Freeman Fire, which has burned more than 12,500 acres.
As the fire spread, the emergency team was reinforced with additional personnel.
Tents have been set up along the school’s baseball field and the football field has become a makeshift helipad. In the evenings, the school’s cafeteria fills with dozens of firefighters sitting down for dinner after a 12- to 16-hour day in the desert.
The Freeman Fire is hidden in the Black Mountains, about 14.5 miles northwest of Oracle.
As of Saturday, the fire grew to 31,727 acres and remains 0% contained, authorities said. The fire remains active and weather conditions have crews concerned that thunderstorms and winds will push the fire further south.
The Freeman Fire began on July 11 and was caused by two lightning strikes that sparked two fires that merged into one. Within the first 12 hours, the fire grew from a modest 1,700 acres to more than 26,000 acres, said Eric Huddleston, chief of operations for the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management.
One mile outside the fire area lies Willow Springs Ranch, where 25 people live and there are about 10 houses.
The department issued the evacuation order because fire conditions were extreme and spreading to the ranch, Huddleston said. Based on the fire activity he observed the first night and approaching thunderstorms, the fire could spread to the ranch again.
Huddleston said the ranch’s residents went to their families rather than setting up an evacuation shelter.
The community of Hayden Ranch west of the fire remained on alert.
How a community reacts
For most Oracle residents, life went on as usual, but one community was determined to come together and help.
Ten miles south of the Freeman Fire lies the Saddlebrook Ranch retirement community with about 2,000 homes.
Ray Ritson and his wife panicked when they heard the news of the fire. Ritson said his wife stood outside and opened the garage door in case they were told they had to leave.
Shortly after the fire broke out, Ritson’s house lost power for about three hours. Other houses in the neighborhood also lost power, he said.
Pete Watson could see the glow of the fire and the dark black smoke coming from his house.
Shortly afterward, a call for donations was posted on social media, he said. By midday Saturday, Watson and Ritson had filled the bed of his blue pickup truck to the brim with cases of water, Gatorade, crackers, sunscreen and other items.
It would take several trips to deliver all the donations to the junior high, Watson said
“Things like this bring the community together,” Watson said.
Reporter Maritza Dominguez covers Mesa, Gilbert and Queen Creek and can be reached at [email protected] or 480-271-0646. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @maritzacdom.
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