The Horton Fire northeast of Payson was nearly 94% contained Saturday, more than a month after the wildfire ignited, according to Tonto National Forest officials.
According to InciWeb, the forest fire grew to 3,346 hectares, prompting pre-evacuation of nearby communities until last week.
Fire crews began shrinking this weekend as the fire neared extinction, prompting Tonto National Forest officials to “issue the final written update on the Horton Fire unless significant activity occurs,” according to a press release on X.
The cause of the fire was still under investigation.
Here’s a look at the remaining efforts of firefighters hoping to end the Horton Fire.
The size and resources of wildfires decrease as containment approaches
When the fire initially grew, more than 400 firefighters were on scene to battle the blaze, equipped with dozens of pieces of heavy equipment.
As of Saturday, only 107 personnel remained on site, along with five fire trucks, a bulldozer and a water tender, officials said in the news release.
The crew must remain until the fire is completely extinguished
Crews continued to battle the fire Saturday, and efforts would continue until the fire was fully “contained, controlled and contained,” Tonto National Forest officials added.
Some crews continued to use heavy equipment along Forest Service Road 76, according to the news release.
Crews from the Burned Area Emergency Response team initially reported that 99% of the burned area sustained minimal damage, with the soil and root system remaining largely intact.
Closure of nearby forest remnants; status before the evacuation is over
Until February 28, there was still a closure of the immediate area surrounding the wildfire, unless it was ended earlier by forest rangers.
According to Tonto National Forest officials, all nearby communities were removed from pre-evacuation status on January 10.
Smoke forecast for wildfires in nearby Payson, State Route 260
Smoke residue was still expected as vegetation continued to burn within the interior of the fire.
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality released its latest forecast on the fire on Jan. 10, after the fire was more than half contained.
Provide assistance: What organizations in Arizona are doing to support California’s wildfires and how they can help
Reach the reporter reynaldo.covarrubias@gannett.com. Follow him on X, Threads and Bluesky @ReyCJrAZ.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Wildfire near Payson nearly extinguished after months of fire