PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Arizona Public Service cut electricity to about 8,000 homes and businesses in the Flagstaff and Grand Canyon area Saturday morning as extreme wildfire conditions prompted the utility to shut off power to prevent a potential catastrophic fire.
The outage is affecting communities including Doney Park, the Grand Canyon’s south and east rims, Mormon Lake, Tusayan and parts of east Flagstaff, among others.
APS plans to restore power Sunday afternoon, as long as the weather permits.
Market stays open on generators
Rebecca Rambo, owner of Mountain View Market in Doney Park — a few miles northeast of Flagstaff — said friends and family worked around the clock for 48 hours to keep the store running through the outage.
“When I say my friends and family have been here literally nonstop for 48 hours, they truly have been,” Rambo said.
Rambo set up three generators, moved products and cut power to non-essential equipment to keep the market open.
“To have our power turned off, on a Saturday, is really difficult,” she said.
Despite the challenge, Rambo said staying open for the Doney Park community was her priority.
“Having a hub, having a spot for people to come, is very important,” she said.
Rambo also offered to store neighbors’ medications and breast milk in the market’s refrigerators, which were running on generator power.
APS distributes ice and water
APS held ice and water giveaways for affected customers, including one at the Flagstaff Mall.
Scotty McPeak, who stopped by for ice, said the outage was significant enough that his wife and children left the area.
“My wife and kids went down to the Valley,” McPeak said. “It’s a combination of the smoke but also not having electricity.”
Some residents without power were also unable to comfortably open windows for ventilation due to smoke drifting into the Flagstaff area from the Pocket Fire burning near Sedona.
Why APS shut off power
Janet Dean, APS public affairs manager, said the utility made the decision in order to protect public safety.
“In these extreme situations, we feel like we have to do that to help protect public safety, so this is not something we take lightly,” Dean said.
APS officials said extreme wind could knock down lines or blow debris into them, and any spark landing in dry vegetation could trigger a catastrophic wildfire.
Rambo said she ultimately understood the decision.
“To sacrifice one life for power, no one would do that for this community,” she said.
Areas affected by the outage
- Cosnino
- Doney Park
- Fernwood
- Fort Valley/Baderville
- Grand Canyon National Park (south and east rims)
- Mormon Lake
- Sunset Crater
- Timberline
- Tusayan
- Valle
- Walnut Canyon
- Certain neighborhoods in east Flagstaff
Local resources for impacted communities
Ice and water distribution
Flagstaff Mall
4650 US-89 N, Flagstaff, AZ 86004
- Saturday: 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Sunday: 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Grand Canyon
1575 Shuttle Bus Rd., Grand Canyon Village, AZ 86023
- Saturday: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Mormon Lake Fire Station
1067 Mormon Lake Rd, Mormon Lake, AZ 86038
- Saturday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Sunday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Baderville
8005 N. Snowbowl Rd.
- Saturday: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- Sunday: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Cooling centers
Sinagua Middle School
3950 E. Butler Ave., Flagstaff, AZ 86004
- Open Saturday 10 a.m. to Sunday 6 p.m. (overnight site)
Grand Canyon National Airpark
1542 Liberator Drive, Grand Canyon Village, AZ 86013
- Open Saturday 10 a.m. to Sunday 6 p.m. (overnight site)
Murdoch Community Center
203 E Brannen Ave., Flagstaff, AZ 86001 | 928-226-7566
- Saturday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The utility suggests that customers monitor the APS Outage Map for updates.
Customers should sign into their online accounts in advance to make sure contact information is up to date. Customers can also call the APS Customer Care Center at 602-371-7171 to make any changes.
For residents who use life-supporting medical equipment that requires power, APS says to call the Customer Care Center at 800-253-9405 to register for the utility’s Medical Care Program.
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