Arizona firefighters battle zero-degree wind chill, snow during Horton Fire

PAYSON, AZ (AZFamily) — The rare January Horton Fire has more than doubled in size this week as crews battle a cold front bringing down temperatures but also bringing intense wind.

The fire has grown to 8,346 acres with 80% containment as of Jan. 14.

However, containment lines like this have made all the difference in protecting nearby communities from this fire.

Two winter storm systems hit the Horton Fire late this week, bringing winds of over 40 miles per hour.

Fire behavior analyst Stewart Turner said winds like these can be dangerous when mixed with fire.

“As the tree torches, so the entire tree catches on fire, then all these embers spray out from this tree,” Turner said. “With these high winds, these embers can travel out a quarter mile, half a mile depending on where they are on that ridge.”

Turner said before the winds swept through the area, crews were able to use drip torches to create a perimeter around the fire to prevent it from spreading to nearby communities.

“That will help stop those fires and any kind of spread with embers coming off a torching tree,” Turner said.

On top of the wind, crews are also dealing with snow and overnight freezing temperatures. Incident meteorologist Bladen Breitreiter said wind chills can reach near zero, causing hypothermia concerns.

“We have folks out there doing night shift,” Breitreiter said “It’s always a risk that you’re going to find yourself in a situation where you could have enhanced risk of hypothermia, especially with these winds, especially with these temperatures.”

Breitreiter said they do see these storms coming days in advance so they can adequately equip firefighters.

He adds that even with the snow, it won’t erase the impact of years of drought.

“We’re going to continue to battle the fact that we’ve been in moderate to severe drought since mid-2023,” Breitreiter said. “So the big takeaway with that even if we do get a substantial system through here, one system like that cannot offset drought like that.”

They also had to send firefighters and engines down to aid in the Yuma fires, but crews were quickly reallocated to help with the fires in Los Angeles.

Breitreiter and Turner said it’s rare to have a fire like this in January, but crews have been working hard through the holidays and usually cold conditions to keep the surrounding communities safe.

The good news is crews are confident that the fire won’t spread outside of its perimeter anymore. After this recent winter weather, they are looking for calmer, less windy conditions into next week.

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