Invasive plants create issues for crews battling the Flag Fire in Kingman

MOHAVE COUNTY, Ariz. - Fire crews are dealing with tough conditions as they fight the Flag Fire burning in Mohave County that broke out over the weekend. Now, they can add invasive plants to their list of complications.

As of Monday, the fire is burning more than 1,000 acres.

Crews are working against invasive grass that's causing the fire to quickly grow.

Dolores Garcia with the Bureau of Land Management says, "That moisture level is low and these type of numbers we see, it has been hotter and dryer already."

Flag Fire: What you need to know about the wildfire burning in Mohave County

Not only are crews working to contain the flames through red flag warnings, but Garcia also says invasive plants are playing a big role in the fight.

"We are seeing some invasive grass species such as red roam and cheat that can add extra fuel that we wouldn't have had originally," she explained.

This is creating challenges for the crews because the fire is able to travel faster and grow stronger.

It's also not good for the natural ecosystem. "The fire will just run and continue without any breaks," Garcia said.

This kind of fire behavior is happening earlier than usual, which could be a sign of what’s to come, crews say.

"To have something like this occurring a month ahead of schedule really is eye-opening to the potential across the state," Garcia said.