Highway 40 Brush Fires

Thursday around 2:45 PM, 911 received reports of multiple brush fires that extended for a 9-mile stretch of Hwy-40 between Mile-Posts 36 to 44.  Golden Valley Fire District mobilized multiple units and requested Mutual-Aid from Yucca Fire District. Fire Chief Thomas O’Donohue reported that traffic was slowed for approximately 45 minutes while crews extinguished and mopped-up at least four separate fires along the 9-mile stretch, primarily in the median of the highway. In all, six fire apparatus responded to handle the fires before they became too large.  ADOT and DPS units slowed traffic, moving it to the outside lane while fire crews worked to control the fires. Although no specific cause was identified, fires such as these are caused by a single vehicle throwing sparks from a brake fire.