TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Hundreds of foothills homes on the outskirts of Tucson remained under an evacuation notice Friday as firefighters supported by helicopters worked to keep a wildfire from moving downhill from canyons and ridges in mountains in a national forest.
Pima County officials on Thursday issued an evacuation notice for approximately 300 homes in a area south of the Coronado National
Forest, and numerous other residents were told to prepare to evacuate.
Fire officials said specialized crews were assessing potential threats to homes and other structures to identify access routes and develop contingency plans in the event of the fire spreading into neighborhoods.
Travis Mayberry, an operations section chief for the fire management team, said Friday much of the fire was burning in terrain too rugged for grounds crews to work safely, particularly if they needed to escape quickly.
Mayberry said crews continued to clear lines to keep the fire away from homes south of the forest and might set additional fires to burn vegetation to slow the wildfire by depriving it of potential fuel.
