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Kellogg Fire burning near Sonoita almost contained

Posted at 1:32 PM, Jun 01, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-02 20:53:59-04

The Kellogg Fire burned about 780 acres in Sonoita Thursday afternoon.

The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management says it is 85% contained and forward progression has stopped.

At one point fifteen homes were evacuated, and a heavy air tanker was launched.

 

Five heavy air tankers, two single-engine air tankers, and three Type 1 helicopters were ordered, according to InciWeb.

When Keith Dojaquez heard about the fire, he drove from his office in Tucson to his home in Sonoita, fearing the worst. 

"This has been a terrible year for wildfires, in this area, and who knows how this one started but it's been pretty tough."

Two vacant barns were destroyed in the fire.

Like many others in the community, Dojaquez is thankful for the work of fire crews. There were 150 people assigned to the fire.

"We are so proud and so glad that these people are here," Dojaquez said. "I don't know what we would do without them, to be honest."

The cause of the fire is unknown. Crews say it started in the northwest of the junction of State Routes 82 and 83. The flames jumped State Route 82 and crews spent much of the afternoon protecting houses from potential flare-ups.

At one point parts of State Route 83 and 82 were closed.