You’re not imagining things. An 11-mile stretch of Highway 82 between Sonoita and Nogales has seen four significant emergency incidents in just the past three weeks.
On Monday afternoon, May 4, SR 82 was completely closed to through traffic at milepost 15 for nearly three hours as Department of Public Safety crews worked to clear a gravel truck that had gone off road, blocking the highway. The shutdown continued well beyond DPS’s original estimate, causing havoc for commuters and travelers trying to get between Patagonia and Nogales, without an alternate route available.
Late on Friday morning, May 15, a brush fire was reported at milepost 17 on SR 82. “The fire was initially extinguished by a passerby,” reported Patagonia Volunteer Fire & Rescue, “and after being dispatched, PVFR arrived on scene and fully extinguished the area to ensure there were no remaining hot spots.”
Emergency responders are encouraging drivers to follow simple safety measures to prevent roadside wildfires like this one.
“With the extremely dry conditions across our area, please help do your part to prevent wildfires,” PVFR said in a statement following the May 15 fire. “If you are towing a trailer, make sure safety chains are secured and not dragging, as even a small spark can quickly start a fire. Please also use caution with outdoor equipment, campfires, and anything else that could create sparks or heat.”
Then, on Monday, May 18, there was a serious two-vehicle collision between mileposts 13 and 14 on SR 82. The highway was shut down for a short period as emergency crews, including PVFR, Sonoita-Elgin Fire District and Rio Rico Medical and Fire District, responded. At least one person involved in the accident was transported to hospital by medivac.
Finally, this past Monday, May 25 — Memorial Day — two vehicles were involved in an accident at milepost 26 on SR 82. One lane was restricted as emergency responders from SEFD, RRMFD, DPS and other agencies worked to clear the scene.
The PRT endeavors to provide the public with timely, accurate information from credible sources about emergencies affecting our area. Most incidents are resolved relatively quickly, and the PRT’s reporting in those situations can be found on our Facebook page and website. For incidents that are more serious or complex, or where there is a threat of imminent danger, the PRT dispatches “Breaking News” reports via email to our email subscribers. Sign up for this free PRT email service here.
PVFR Chief Zay Hartigan is encouraging local residents — as well as those who regularly travel to or through our area — to sign up for the free Santa Cruz County alert system. In the event of an emergency or severe weather condition, an alert may be sent to the phone number provided by voice, text and/or email. Go here to sign up.
Arizona Department of Transportation’s AZ 511 website provides a real time traffic map with travel times, traffic accident details, and so on. This is an excellent resource to have bookmarked on your phone or computer.
For up-to-date information about wildfires and other incidents (including power outages), sign up for WatchDuty, a free app run by a nonprofit organization. (WatchDuty is also accessible via web browser).