PRESCOTT, AZ (CBS5) -
The Gladiator Fire that has burned approximately 16,240 acres and cost $14 million is officially 100 percent contained. The Gladiator Fire spread rapidly when a structure caught fire on a private property. In total there were six structures destroyed and eight injuries reported.
Aerial application of grass seed and straw mulch has been started in the burnt areas of the fire. The applications were able to be applied before the monsoon rains hit the state on July 4, 2012. Just under 100 acres of Prescott National Forest was able to be seeded in addition to 24 acres of private land areas adjacent to Crown King.
Work is also under way on roads and trails. Yavapai county is continuing to perform maintenance on the Crown King road throughout the monsoon season where heavy rains are expected to have a major impact on roads in and around the fire area.
Crown King and its businesses are officially open to the public. However, visitors are being asked to drive defensively. Drivers are being asked to be aware of your surroundings and, most important, obey all fire restrictions and closures in the area.
As of Friday, June 8, 2012 at 8 a.m. the entire Prescott National Forest is under fire restrictions. A Yavapai County fire ban is in effect across all fire ban zones. For Arizona fire information and restrictions information you can call 1-877-864-6985 or visit http://wildlandfire.az.gov/.
Copyright 2012 CBS 5 (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
