Wildfire evacuation ends
The Margo Fire burned 1,200 acres and was 50% contained. A Dudleyville evacuation was lifted.
A wildfire evacuation was lifted Saturday afternoon, allowing roughly 200 residents of Dudleyville to return to their homes, according to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office.
The Margo Fire burning in the small town of Dudleyville reached 1,200 acres and was 50% contained as of Saturday morning, according to the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management.
Officials said the fire, which has burned 12 primary structures, started in Pinal County on Thursday morning and was being fueled by extreme to exceptional drought conditions.
As of 3 p.m., acreage and containment had not changed from Saturday morning.
The fire was mapped at 1,200 acres with a majority of the acres being due to fire operations to secure the south side of the fire burning in southeastern Arizona, officials said on Saturday.
The evacuation of about 200 residents, according to Inciweb, a government fire-tracking service, was put into place late Thursday, but was lifted Saturday.
The Forestry Department said firefighters secured the southern edge of the fire late Friday evening and crews would be mopping up and monitoring the fire perimeter for interior heat on Saturday. About 75 personnel were assigned to the fire as of Saturday morning.
The National Weather Service in Tucson said residents should expect another day of gusty winds with speeds of 15 to 20 mph, gusts up to 35 mph and temperatures above normal.
“Elevated fire weather conditions will be possible for areas east of Tucson especially along the AZ/NM border,” the weather service said on Twitter.
The cause of the fire was unknown and under investigation.