Fort Huachuca braces for Monument Fire to spread

Fort Huachuca braces for Monument Fire to spread

The Monument Fire nearing 50 percent containment but the flames on the south side of the Huachuca Mountains getting dangerously close to this military installation.

So how close is it? Colonel Timothy Faulkner said, "As a crow flies it's about 3 1/2 miles away from the installation."

And that's much too close for comfort for Brigadier General Gregg Potter, "Fires are common we have fires on the installation all the time but never on this scale, they've always been contained in a very short period of time," he said.

Just last week the Antelope Fire charred more than 4,400 acres in less than a day. And this time, like any other the post is prepared.

Colonel Faulkner explained, "We are making a buffer all around the huachuca mountains that separate the installation, the buildings and housing from the mountain side." He also said Fort Huachuca averages four to six fires a year. The post is actually stopping some training operations right now so soldiers can help clear out dead brush."

We know that they've missed two days of classes this week clearing brush and they're losing tomorrow's off-day for clearing brush. We are hopeful that they'll get it under control so as not lose next weekend's planned leave, but it's apparently a real possibility at the moment...