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Pinery Fire: Wildfire burning in Chiricahua Mountains; campsites evacuated

Posted at 3:58 PM, May 12, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-14 00:19:31-04

A wildfire, which started in the area south of Pinery Canyon, is burning in the Chiricahua Mountains 12 miles east of Douglas. 

As of 8:00 p.m. Saturday, officials said the fire had grown to 1200 acres.

According to Forestry officials, the fire has been determined to be human-caused as the investigation continues. 

Cochise County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Carol Capas said a grassfire started in the area around 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Several campground sites were evacuated due to the Pinery Fire around 2:00 p.m.

Capas says there are no emergency lodging facilities open at this time "due to the small number of evacuees who are also equipped as campers."

Crews are working to get the fire under control.

According to State Forestry, approximately 250 personnel are battling the fire including (9) engines, (3) Type 2 handcrews, (4) hotshot crews (Smokey Bear, Mesa, Bitterroot, and Geronimo), (3) watertenders, and (2) Type 2 helicopters. Additional resources have also been called in to assist. 

Meanwhile, wildfire crews in northern Arizona are still working to contain the Viewpoint Fire near Chino Valley, which as of Saturday afternoon was 80 percent contained. That fire has burned up to 5,100 acres and has destroyed several vehicles and homes. 

Forward progression was halted Friday afternoon.