Bisbee saw its third fire this season on Monday night. Normally, the fire season wouldn’t start for another month, and town officials said this fire season is likely to put a strain on Bisbee’s aging fire suppression system.
The Bisbee Fire Department received a call at about 10pm about a brush fire near Highway 80, close to the Mule Pass Tunnel.
Bisbee Mayor Ken Budge said the water suppression system is about a century old and very difficult to maintain. The fire department depends largely on trucks to transport water.
"We can get one pretty quick, but one just doesn't cut it. You use it up and then you got to sit there and wait for a 15-20 minute delay, go down, fill out a hydrant and then bring it back to you. So that's not the best way to find a fire," Budge said.
This fire came closer to homes and other structures than the first two this season, and residents in the area were put under a pre-evacuation warning.
By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.