Cochise County emergency manager: recent 16-acre fire underscores 'Ready, Set, Go' and sign-up for targeted alerts

Dan Duchon of Cochise County Emergency Management described a 16-acre blaze near Cochise Stronghold (west of Sunsites) that produced significant smoke visible across the county; state and federal aircraft and crews suppressed the fire over several days with two small outbuildings lost.

"It was about 16 acres, and it was state fire or the Department of Forestry Management that managed that," Duchon said, noting aviation assets and multi-day mop-up. He credited incident commanders and mutual aid for bringing the fire under control.

Duchon used the incident to explain Ready, Set, Go, the standardized statewide evacuation framework. "Ready" means preparing in advance (register for alerts, clear brush, gather prescriptions and pet plans), "Set" signals a threat where leaving would be beneficial, and "Go" means life-threatening danger and to evacuate immediately.

He emphasized multiple alert channels: wireless emergency alerts to phones, pre-recorded messages to landlines, and the county's registration system that lets residents tie a mobile number to a home address so geo-targeted messages reach them even when away. The sign-up URL given on air was cochise.myfreealerts.com.

Duchon recommended registering family members who may need assistance and following local jurisdictions (city pages) for accurate situational updates. He urged residents to treat "Set" seriously as an early cue to prepare to leave and to follow official directions during the "Go" phase.

The county's emergency manager did not announce new funding or policy changes on the broadcast but used the recent fire as a practical example to reinforce public preparedness actions ahead of high fire danger.