Margo Fire calls for evacuation of Dudleyville in Pinal County
On the night of April 8, about 500 acres of land burned as a result of the fire. FOX 10’s Stephanie Olmo reports.
DUDLEYVILLE, Ariz. – A wildfire that led to the evacuation of all homes in the small town of Dudleyville in Pinal County was 20% after the burning of at least 12 structures, authorities said.
It is unclear how the fire originated, but it grew from the night of April 8 to about 500 acres.
The fire started around 09:00
“I saw a big old cloud of smoke. That was when I yelled at my son and like, hey, I think my friend Alonzo’s place is on fire,” Pablo Acuna said.
Acuna went to his friend’s place and saw the fire was about 150 meters away.
“I can hear it crackling,” Acuna says. ‘You can see the trees fall, see the flames, feel the heat. It was pretty intense. ‘
Acuwent at home, gathered his family and some of his belongings and went to Hayden to stay with his aunt.
“When we left, I wanted to say 200 meters from our house, so that’s what’s going on with me and after that I heard nothing,” Acuna said.
Cheryl Chester was in Mesa when she heard about the fire burning through her community.
“I had my husband come out here to see what was going on, and found the fire was near our house,” Chester said. ‘We heard a lot of people lost their homes, and he said one of those planes threw a big bucket of water right behind our barn and stopped the fire from coming out of our house.
Officials at the sheriff’s office in Pinal County said earlier on April 8 that 74 structures were inside the evacuation zone, with 243 residents living in the area.
An emergency shelter was erected at Ray High School, located at 701 N. Highway 177 in Kearny.
Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Department officials said the wildfire was burning thickly tamarisk in a riverbed.
About 75 firefighters battled the flames from the ground while airplanes dropped gallons of water and fire retardants.
Officials from Arizona’s Department of Forestry and Fire Management said the wildfire was burning thickly tamarisk in the river bottom.
About 75 firefighters battled the flames from the ground while airplanes dropped gallons of water and fire retardants.
According to the Arizona Department of Transportation, Northward State Route 77 was closed due to the 128-mile fire.
Dudleyville is a census-designated place with a population of about 1,000 and is located off Highway 77, about 60 miles north of Tucson.
The mining town was the site of a wildfire in July 2017 that charred nearly 1,200 acres and destroyed several structures, including houses.
Evacuations ordered in Pinal County due to Margo Fire
Officials say the fire endangered structures, and SkyFOX’s video shows some structures were burned as a result of the fire.
Margo Fire brand in Dudleyville in Pinal County (Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management)
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