NAU officials are offering personnel and other resources to help the Flagstaff-area community while it endures several blazing wildfires.
A 12,000-acre fire located about five miles north of downtown Flagstaff was 10 percent contained as of Tuesday afternoon.
Tracie Hansen, a spokeswoman for NAU, said the fire is too far away and is not threatening the university currently.
“It’s moving in the opposite direction of the University,” Hansen said.
Julie Bergman, also an NAU spokeswoman, said in an e-mail that the university is still “operating under normal conditions” and the fires have had a “minimal impact.”
The college is allowing evacuees with camper trailers to spend the night in one of the university’s parking lots, Bergman said, but most visitors are returning home.
The Schultz Fire started Sunday and was caused by an abandoned campfire, according to a Coconino County press release.
The fire is specifically located east of Flagstaff, west of north Highway 89 and north of Mount Elden.
Approximately 1,000 residences are threatened, but no structures have been damaged, said Erin Phelps of the Southwest Area Incident Management Team.
Tracey Kiest, a spokeswoman for the American Red Cross Grand Canyon Chapter, said more than 400 people have registered at the Mount Elden Middle School shelter in Flagstaff, which has been open since Sunday.
The Salvation Army and local restaurants have donated food, Kiest said.
Laura Crouch, a professor at NAU’s School of Nursing, has been helping at the shelter as a Red Cross nurse.
“I’ve always wanted to volunteer for Red Cross,” Crouch said. “I just finally made up my mind that I was going to do it.”
She has been working for Red Cross since December and said she helps provide food and drink and medical attention, if needed.
Another fire in Flagstaff started Saturday afternoon and was 80 percent contained on Tuesday, according to a press release from the Arizona Incident Management team.
The Hardy Fire has burned 282 acres and is located near Interstate 40 and southwest of Herold Ranch Road. It is expected to be fully contained by the weekend at the latest, according to the release.
The National Interagency Fire Center Web site has reported three other active wildfires in Arizona as of Tuesday.
Reach the reporter at reweaver@asu.edu
