By admin 
WICKENBURG, AZ (AZFamily) — Crews have stopped forward progress on the Jones Fire, and the U.S. 60 freeway has been mostly reopened Monday evening after the brush fire forced evacuations northwest of the Valley.
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The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management said just before 7 p.m. that firefighters stopped the flames, but not before eight to 10 RVs were destroyed in Wickenburg.
The fire has burned 89.5 acres as of 7:50 p.m., down from more than 100 due to more accurate mapping, officials said.
The Arizona Department of Transportation said the freeway is open except for the right lanes in both directions between Wickenburg Way and Morristown, which is roughly 9 miles, as the Jones Fire burns in Wickenburg. There is no timetable for when the lanes will be reopened.
Arizona Public Service (APS) shut off power east of Highway 60 during the height of the firefight and the fire damaged some equipment. Roughly 176 customers lost power, but it has since been restored.
This comes after Maricopa County Emergency Management issued a GO status, calling for residents to evacuate immediately along U.S. 93 to Zabel Mine Road, from the railroad tracks west of U.S. 60 to the east of U.S. 60.
Students from the Hassayampa Elementary School have been evacuated. They were sent to the high school where their parents picked them up.
The American Red Cross has opened a shelter in the gym at Wickenburg High School, located at 1090 S. Vulture Mine Road, for evacuees and others in need of assistance due to the fire.
As of 6 p.m., about 20 to 25 people had gone to the gym to seek shelter. Some had their belongings and pets. Arizona Humane Society workers were also at the shelter helping people.
The Wickenburg Fire Department brought a SWAT vehicle to Academy For Early Learning, a day care just outside of Wickenburg but within the evacuation zone, to help evacuate five staff members and 28 children ages 6 weeks to 5 years.
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Fire officials said the fire is burning in the Hassayampa River bottom in salt cedar, cottonwood, grass and brush.
While the cause of the fire is under investigation, fire officials said there was no lightning in the area.
Arizona’s Family news chopper captured video of a large plume of black smoke and flames engulfing an RV park. Multiple vehicles and trailers caught on fire as firefighters worked to control the fast-moving flames.
Multiple aircraft have also responded, including four single-engine air tankers and two large air tankers. Arizona’s Family news chopper saw one aircraft dropping fire retardant over some areas.
On the ground, resources include fire engines, a dozer, and hand crews. In all, more than 125 firefighters were called out to fight the fire. Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers are assisting Wickenburg police officers with traffic control.
Residents in the impacted area are urged to gather items such as prescription medications, identification and other important documents.
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