Fire Started During Munitions Training -- Responders Hampered By UXO

Fort Huachuca, Arizona  A training exercise conducted by the 860th Military Police Company from the Arizona National Guard inadvertently started a fire that rapidly expanded due to extremely dry conditions. The fire reportedly started when a rocket projected grenade ricocheted off of its intended target, a mock tank. The incident happened on Range 9 located in Garden Canyon.

Smoke could be seen as far as 20 miles away as the fire expanded to over 350 acres. Over 100 firefighters and two fire engines responded to the scene. However, firefighters were forced to fight the fire from a distance due to the presence of UXO in the canyon area. To control the fire, crews concentrated on keeping the firebreaks around the canyon open and by using helicopters to drop water onto the fire. Firefighters reported hearing explosions from within the Canyon area from the UXO.

Portions of the Canyon were closed to recreational use (a popular bird watching area). Munitions training however continued, but was shifted to another area within the canyon well away from the fire. Crews now have the fire under control and no injuries have been reported.