ADOT crews spring into action to limit brush fire along State Route 87

A fast response by ADOT maintenance crews from Mesa and Payson likely kept a brush fire from spreading along State Route 87 this week.

ADOT's Traffic Operations Center (TOC) in Phoenix was notified of the fire along southbound SR 87 south of Sunflower early Thursday morning, Jan. 16. Jerry Turner, ADOT's highway operations supervisor at the agency's Mesa Maintenance Office, received a text from the TOC, and crews sprang into action.

"I happened to be on the phone with Brett Rupp from the Payson maintenance office and asked about getting one of their water trucks to the scene," said Turner. "When I arrived on scene, crews from Payson were closing a lane and, minutes later, Scott Umbenhauer pulled up with the water truck."

It was a fast-moving fire due to windy conditions, and some embers were blowing across the pavement, Turner said. But from that point the situation took a positive turn.

"Scott made a first pass to spray water along the southbound shoulder and then backed up while using the truck's spray cannon to hit the flames over a distance of about 50 to 60 feet. After several more passes our crews had contained the fire."

Turner said the blaze was under control, providing a much easier job for Tonto National Forest fire crews to mop up.

"Without our Payson team's help, I have no doubt the fire would have gone out of control because of the wind," he said. "The water truck made all the difference."

Brett Rupp, who serves as ADOT's Payson maintenance supervisor, said agency crews stay alert to fires along state highways like SR 87. "There are no boundaries between ADOT districts when these things happen," he said. "It's all about teaming up to respond to the situation. That's especially important with these dry weather conditions in place."

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