The Lizard Fire in Dragoon has burned 7,563 acres, and officials say the fire continues to grow.
Another fire burning in Dragoon combined with the Lizard Fire and caused the acreage to grow.
Homes south of Dragoon Rd. and homes in Cochise Stronghold are under a hard evacuation. The Red Cross has set up a reception center at Benson High School for evacuees.
About 220 firefighters battled the blaze Friday morning.
One home and several outbuildings have burned after dry lightning strikes hit the area Wednesday afternoon.
Take a look at how close the fire got to this one home just off of Lizard Ln. Fire estimated at 3,500 acres still @kgun9 #LizardFire pic.twitter.com/SCBMIWZvHQ
— Max Darrow (@MaxDarrowTV) June 8, 2017
Wayne Scheibe was evacuated from his home Thursday morning after receiving a pre-evacuation notice from the Cochise County Sheriffs Department the night before.
Scheibe says he's just "Grateful he and his wife are safe."
He hopes that their house doesn't burn down.
Fire continues to grow here in Dragoon... Coming up at 6 - an evacuee tells me about the moment he needed to leave his home. pic.twitter.com/wQNGd3HIhQ
— Jennifer Martinez (@Jennymartineztv) June 9, 2017
The Scheibe's have lived in Dragoon, Arizona for ten years and were evacuated along with 35 other homes in the area.
Several other homes are under pre-evacuation notice with intentions of evacuating their home at a moments notice.
"We were able to do hard evacuations and telling people they need to get out of their house," says Carol Capas with the Cochise County Sheriffs Department.
While all hands are on deck, Gerry Perry, information officer for the Lizard Fire says they're stretched out thin as other brush fires have started in the area.
"Air resources that we use have to be prioritized based on values of risk and if support is available," says Perry.
Officials tell KGUN 9 that predicting when this fire will be under control is difficult.
"It's difficult now because we have storms coming and we have the fire creating it's own heat source," says Capas. "It's a problem for us when it starts creating or contributing to the storms that are coming and causing dry lightning."
The Sheriffs Departments say they want everyone on the area to
be prepared.
