A fast-moving wildfire Thursday burned an estimated 25 homes in Bagdad and forced the evacuations of hundreds of residents in the small mining town west of Prescott, authorities said.
Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management officials said three outbuildings and one vehicle also had been charred in the 150-acre wildfire as of Thursday evening.
The wildfire started just outside of town Thursday afternoon and its cause was not immediately known, Yavapai County Sheriff’s officials said.
About 570 evacuation notices were sent out to people in the area and sheriff’s officials said electricity to Bagdad had to be turned off around 5 p.m. for safety reasons for firefighters battling the flames.
A shelter was set up at Hassayampa Elementary School in Wickenburg with State Routes 96 and 97 are both shut down to traffic coming into Bagdad.
Air tankers and helicopters were dropping fire retardant and water on homes, brush and dry grass in the area.
Bagdad, which has a population of about 2,000, is located about 60 miles west of Prescott and 125 miles northwest of Phoenix.
