The small community of Sunsites, in Cochise County, is now a town without a gas station after the only place to fill up closed unexpectedly in September- forcing people to make long drives to get gas.
This week, Candace Moyer watched as workers unearthed the underground fuel tanks from what used to be the Giant gas station along Highway 191.
“They didn't say anything when they closed. They didn't tell us they were closing they just- they just shut the gas tanks off,” Moyer said.
“It was kind of a surprise to the whole community,” said Paul Sampson, who splits his time between Sunsites and Wyoming.
Sampson says he now fills up his tank while running other errands in Wilcox, 30 miles north of Sunsites.
The closest place to buy gasoline is now at a small station 10 miles away in Sunizona.
“Then you drive back and it’s like you already used up 10 miles of your gas by the time you get back here,” Moyer said.
Moyer says she hasn't been able to find out what will happen to the land or if a new gas station will move in, “They're keeping it a big secret what they're going to do over there. So I don't know what the big secret is.”
