Officials: Shipman Fire near Kearny 47 percent contained
Jul 10, 2013, 7:41 PM | Updated: 7:41 pm
PHOENIX — A fire burning about 70 miles southeast of Phoenix has charred over 500 acres and has destroyed one home so far.
The Shipman Fire has been burning for almost three days, but is now 47 percent contained as of Wednesday night.
Residents near Kearney were evacuated Monday after a wildfire moved close to their homes but about 100 of the 200 homes have been cleared for re-occupancy.
Twenty more homes were evacuated due to the size of the fire.
No injuries have been reported, but at least three structures have burned, with one home being destroyed.
According to Pinal County officials, the Shipman Fire may have been sparked near the San Pedro River.
Jonetta Trued of the Eastern Arizona Incident Management Team said they have a full line of resources battling the fire.
Trued also said she remains optimistic the fire won’t spread and that people could soon return to their homes.
The American Red Cross also said 25 people stayed Monday night in a shelter set up in an elementary school in Kearny.
Steve Henry, chief deputy with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, said the wildfire began burning through salt cedar trees along the river bed and sending embers floating into Kearney.
Arizona Department of Transportation officials closed five miles of State Route 177 near Kearny for a time but that was reopened at 11:30 p.m. on Monday.
Kearny is located east of Florence, Ariz., and south of Globe, Ariz.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
