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Firefighters continue to work brush fire in rural part of Surprise; 10 percent contained

Posted at 10:27 PM, Jun 20, 2016
and last updated 2016-06-21 01:27:22-04

Firefighters plan on working throughout the night Monday to contain a brush fire burning in a rural area in west Surprise.

Officials said 125 firefighters were on hand clawing at the Earth and using a chain saw to cut down limbs in an effort to control the fire and eliminate fuels.

The brush fire is burning near 219 Avenue north of Bell Road and estimated to be 10 percent contained.

Dan Colgan, who works for the Arizona State Forestry Division, said 10 homes were evacuated or provided an evacuation warning as a result of the fire, but those residents have since been allowed to return home.

"When it's this hot, anything will burn," said Don Asbury, a resident in the area who was told to prepare for an evacuation.

The fire has burned between 75 and 100 acres, according to Colgan. Thankfully, no injuries have been reported as a result of the fire nor the heat.

"These guys are always willing to risk their own lives to take care of other people," said Asbury. "[They] might as well be in the military."

The cause of the fire is not known and remains under investigation.

The fire was reported late Sunday night.