Published: 06.22.2007

Fire near Madera Canyon 50 percent contained (Not that far from Arivaca, the scene of last week's diversionary fire)
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
The Madera Canyon fire that forced the evacuation of residents, some hikers and a group of illegal entrants was about 50 percent contained by midafternoon, said U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Heidi Schewel.

Firefighters from Green Valley and Tubac, as well as at least four hotshot crews are reported to be at the fire located more than a mile west of the entrance to Madera Canyon, she said. Madera Canyon is in the Santa Rita Mountains, about 40 miles southeast of Tucson.

Schewel said a "handful" of homes and about 30 vehicles were evacuated from Madera Canyon because of the 20- to- 30 acre brush fire.

There have been no reports of injuries said Deputy Dawn Hanke of the Pima County Sheriff's Department.

Sheriff's Department Assist Team members at the scene said residents evacuated from Madera Canyon were taken to a location past Box Canyon. They said about 30 recreational users of the canyon were also evacuated.

One member of a group of illegal entrants encountered by sheriff’s deputies as they crossed the road leading to the canyon was treated by medical personnel from the Tubac Fire Department. He was treated for heat exhaustion, but it was not thought to be related to the fire. Two of the men in his party stayed behind with him and the others fled. The heat stricken man was treated and taken away by a Southwest medic crew and his two companions were taken into custody by the Border Patrol.

A four-engine P-3 slurry bomber dropped at least one load of fire retardant on the blaze around 1 p.m.

Two smaller crop duster-style, single-engine planes also made runs over the fire. A medium-sized helicopter dropped several loads of water, refilling its bucket at a portable tank set up less than a mile from the fire, and filled by tanker trucks from the Green Valley, Tubac and Elephant Head fire departments.

The fire, first reported about 11:40 a.m., swept over an area of mostly grass and mesquite. Though the flames stayed away from homes, about 70 people were evacuated from the area as a precaution, said Smith, because of concerns that shifting winds, high temperatures and dry conditions could have caused the fire to grow quickly and unpredictably.

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