DUDLEYVILLE, Ariz. (AP) – A small community in south-central Arizona remained under evacuation notice on Friday after crews and aircraft stopped the growth of a wildfire that burned at least twelve homes, officials said.
The fire burned through thick vegetation at the bottom of the Gila River in Dudleyville, a place designated by the census, with a population of about 1,000 inhabitants, about 97 miles north of Tucson.
Officials said the fire continued Thursday to about 500 square miles, with about 20% of its perimeter from Friday.
The cause of the fire was investigated.
The sheriff of the province said about 200 residents had been evacuated and that the evacuation notice could be lifted on Friday night or Saturday morning.
The crew continued building fire lines on Friday to prevent the fire in Dudleyville from spreading as the wind blew again, but utility crew members also had to investigate damage to power lines that were disconnected on Thursday, Forestry Department spokeswoman Tiffany Davila said. and forest management, said.
About 40 people spent the night in a shelter at a high school in a nearby community, Red Cross spokesman Mike Sagara said.
There was no immediate report of injuries. About 100 people were hired to fight the blaze.
According to state officials in Forestry and Fire Management, Arizona had one of its worst wildfire seasons in 2020 in nearly a decade in 2020.
Officials have warned that by June there is a potential brand-wide activity across the country.
Among the factors for last year’s severe wildfire season were unpleasant hot conditions, a lack of moisture, an abundance of fuel in the central region of Arizona and within the Sonoran Desert, and an increasing recreational traffic throughout the state.