CALHOUN COUNTY, Ark. — A growing wildfire near Camden has prompted evacuations and an emergency response from state officials as it burns through more than 2,300 acres in Calhoun County.
According to the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management, the State Emergency Operations Center has been activated in response to the blaze, known as the Bunker Wildfire. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed the fire is located in the Highland Industrial Park, a sprawling facility in Camden that houses defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Missile Systems, and General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems. The park also includes the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy and the Arkansas Fire Training Academy.
The wildfire is among the largest currently burning in the state. The Arkansas Department of Agriculture's wildfire map, updated at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, September 15, confirmed the fire's scale. Officials attribute the fire’s spread to the state's high wildfire risk, with numerous counties already under burn bans.
Evacuation orders were issued Monday by the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office for residents north of Highway 278 between Calhoun Road 10 and Calhoun Road 95. While Southern Arkansas University Tech initially evacuated students to the Camden Fairview High School gymnasium as a precaution, those students have since returned to campus.
For those displaced by the fire, the sheriff’s office has identified temporary shelters at Victory Baptist Church, Hampton High School Library, and the Hampton First Assembly of God Church, all located in Hampton.
State and local officials continue to monitor the wildfire as containment efforts remain ongoing in challenging conditions.