DUDLEYVILLE, Ariz. (AP) – A small community in south-central Arizona remained under an evacuation order on Friday after crews and air tankers halted the growth of a wildfire that burned at least 12 homes, officials said.
The fire burned through dense vegetation at the bottom of the Gila River in Dudleyville, a census town of about 1,000 residents about 60 miles north of Tucson.
Officials said the blaze continued to an estimated 500 acres (2 square kilometers) on Thursday with containment around 20% of its circumference as of Friday.
The cause of the fire was investigated.
The county sheriff’s office said about 200 residents were evacuated and the evacuation notice could be lifted Friday night or Saturday morning.
Crews on Friday continued to build firing lines to prevent the fire from spreading in Dudleyville when there were gusts of wind, but utility crews also had to check for damage to power lines that were shut down Thursday, the State Department of Forestry spokeswoman said. Forest Management, Tiffany Davila.
About 40 people spent the night in a high school shelter in a nearby community, Red Cross spokesman Mike Sagara said.
There was no immediate report of injuries. About 100 people were assigned to fight the fire.
According to Forestry and Fire Department officials, Arizona had one of the worst wildfires in nearly a decade in 2020.
Officials have warned there is a potential for widespread fire stations statewide in June.
Factors in last year’s fierce wildfire season were unusually warm conditions, a lack of moisture, an abundance of fuel in central Arizona and the Sonoran Desert, and increased recreational traffic in the state.