Wildfire near Highland Industrial Park forces evacuations of SAU Tech, ALETA and nearby homes

EAST CAMDEN, Ark. (ABN) – A fast-moving wildfire near Highland Industrial Park forced the evacuation of Southern Arkansas University Tech, the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy and a wide stretch of homes along U.S. Highway 278 in Calhoun County on Monday night, as state and local crews worked to bring the fire under control.

The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office ordered everyone living north of Highway 278 between Calhoun Road 10 and Calhoun Road 95 to evacuate immediately and stay clear of the area so emergency crews could get through. Arkansas 203 and Arkansas 274, known locally as the Area Highway, were closed to all but emergency personnel.

Three temporary shelters opened in Hampton for anyone ordered to evacuate or who did not feel safe staying home: Victory Baptist Church at 320 S. 2nd St., the Hampton High School Library at 419 E. Main St., and Hampton First Assembly of God Church at 248 6th St.

SAU Tech evacuated its entire campus, and on-campus students were taken to the Camden Fairview High School gymnasium. ALETA evacuated its residence halls, and its students were also staged at the gymnasium. Both campuses are located inside the industrial park in East Camden.

The Camden Fairview School District said community partners were working to secure overnight accommodations for evacuees and that it did not expect any impact on Tuesday’s school day. The district asked residents not to be alarmed by the number of vehicles at the high school Monday night, including law enforcement vehicles from ALETA.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the state was closely monitoring the fire and that state personnel were working to contain it and evacuate the area. Sanders said she had received outreach from the U.S. Department of War and the White House, and thanked local officials and businesses for their assistance.

Camden Mayor Charlotte Young said the Camden Fire Department and surrounding agencies were working to bring the fire under control and that she was in direct contact with the governor’s office as part of a coordinated state and federal response. Young called the industrial park “the very epicenter of our local industry where countless of our citizens are employed.”

“I am calling on all citizens of Camden and Ouachita County to pray for the protection of our brave men and women in uniform as they place themselves in harm’s way to protect people and property,” Young said.

Residents along Highway 278 near the fire were told early in the evening they may need to stay elsewhere overnight, according to emergency radio traffic. Authorities closed Highway 278 at the Arkansas 274 intersection, the main route into East Camden and the industrial park, at about 8:20 p.m. The highway was reported open in both directions by about 9:15 p.m., before the sheriff’s office issued the broader evacuation order and closed 203 and 274.

No injuries had been reported as of Monday night. The size of the fire, its cause and whether any structures had been damaged had not been released.

Highland Industrial Park is the largest employment center in south Arkansas, spanning roughly 15,000 acres with more than 1,000 buildings. Its tenants include Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, which produces HIMARS and GMLRS rockets, along with L3Harris Aerojet Rocketdyne, General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, Raytheon and Spectra Technologies. SAU Tech, ALETA, the Arkansas Fire Training Academy and the Arkansas Environmental Training Academy are also located within the park.

The city of Camden has been under a burn ban because of dry conditions. A wildfire near the park in March 2025 burned more than 1,200 acres before it was contained by Calhoun and Ouachita county fire departments, the Arkansas Forestry Division and park crews.

This is a developing story. Arkansas Breaking News will update as more information becomes available.