Posted by : Tiffany Davila  On June 18th, 2025 2:54 pm

      

Payson, AZ (6/18/2025) – This year marks the 35^th anniversary of the Dude Fire – a fire outside of Payson that took the lives of six firefighters from the Perryville Fire Crew. To pay tribute to those lives lost, the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, the U.S. Forest Service – Tonto National Forest, along with residents of Bonita Creek Estates will hold a remembrance ceremony to honor those fallen firefighters and the sacrifices they made.

The ceremony takes place on Thursday, June 26, at 10 am, in Bonita Creek Estates, northeast of Payson. Geoff Hatch, former Perryville Fire crew member and Dude Fire survivor will be the guest speaker. Immediately following the ceremony, the Water Wheel Fire and Medical District Auxiliary has organized a barbecue fundraiser to benefit their local fire district as well as the Sano Undo Foundation – an organization dedicated to providing mental health wellness to wildland firefighters. The barbecue will take place at the fire district’s substation in Bonita Creek.

On June 25, 1990, a dry lightning storm moved across the Mogollon Rim, igniting the fast-moving Dude Fire on the Tonto National Forest’s Payson Ranger District. The next day, strong winds coupled with dry conditions fueled extreme fire behavior, trapping the state’s Perryville crew within Walk Moore Canyon. Six members of the crew, including five inmates and one prison supervisor died in the fire. Five other Perryville firefighters suffered injuries. The 24,000-acre fire engulfed the forest subdivision of Bonita Creek Estates and the historic Pyle Ranch, destroying 63 homes, before it was declared controlled 10 days later.

Last year, residents of Bonita Creek Estates unveiled a new Dude Fire Memorial in their community. Residents initially built a memorial of six crosses with the names of the fallen firefighters etched on wooden plaques. Now, the memorial includes portraits of the firefighters etched on metal with a brief story and bio. Community members also created a tribute board that will preserve the original wooden plaques. The Wildland Firefighter Foundation contributed to the memorial with the donation of a bronze statue of a firefighter.

For more information about the event contact Tiffany Davila at 602-540-1036 or by email at tdavila@dffm.az.gov          

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