DUDLEYVILLE Ariz. (AP) A small community in south-central Arizona remained under an evacuation notice Friday after crews and air tankers stopped the growth of a wildfire that burned at least 12 homes, officials said.
The fire burned through thick vegetation at the bottom of the Gila River in Dudleyville, a census-designated place with a population of about 1,000 located off Highway 77 about 60 miles (97 kilometers) north of Tucson.
Officials said the fire continued on Thursday to an estimated 500 acres (2 square kilometers) with containment around 20% of its perimeter as of Friday.
The cause of the fire near the unincorporated Pinal County town was under investigation.
The county Sheriffs Office said approximately 200 residents were evacuated and that the evacuation notice might be lifted Friday evening or Saturday morning.
Crews on Friday continued to build fire lines to keep the fire from spreading into Dudleyville if winds gust again but utility crews also needed to check for damage to power lines that were deenergized Thursday, said state Department of Forestry and Forest Management spokeswoman Tiffany Davila.
Approximately 40 people spent the night at a shelter at Ray High School in Kearny, another community in the area, Red Cross spokesman Mike Sagara said.
There was no immediate report of injuries. Approximately 100 people were assigned to fight the fire.
Highway 77 reopened on Thursday after it was briefly closed.
Arizona had one of its worst wildfire seasons in nearly a decade in 2020 according to state Forestry and Fire Management Department officials.
Officials have warned there is a potential for widespread, statewide fire activity by June.
Among the factors for last years severe wildfire season was unseasonably warm conditions, a lack of moisture, an overabundance of fuels across Arizonas central region and within the Sonoran Desert, and increased recreational traffic across the state.