PHOENIX (AP) -- Firefighters were able to quickly contain a 110-acre fire burning on the Fort Apache Reservation Sunday that forced the evacuation of as many as 1,000 people, a tribal spokeswoman said.
Chadeen Palmer, spokeswoman for the crew fighting the fire, said evacuation orders were expected to be lifted by 9 p.m. Sunday for Chinatown, One Step Beyond and Dark Shadows. The three Whiteriver suburbs were evacuated shortly after the fire was reported at about 2:30 p.m.
Fire crews were able to dig a line around the fire by Sunday evening and had it 95 percent contained, Palmer said.
Strong winds helped kick up the fire quickly and were the driving force behind the evacuations, Palmer said. But by sundown, the winds had died down significantly.
``It just did its thing, curled up and died,'' Palmer said.
Earlier in the day, the China fire had threatened 200 to 300 homes in the area. At one point, the flames came within 100 yards from homes, Palmer said. However, no structures were damaged.
The fire is believed to have started behind a housing development just west of the airport in Whiteriver. Palmer said the fire was likely human caused and is under investigation.
``It's summer time and there aren't a whole lot of things to do around here,'' she said.
Evacuees were initially sent to Memorial Hall, a shelter set up in the middle of Whiteriver, which is about 180 miles northeast of Phoenix.
About 150 firefighters fought the fire on Sunday. During the day, two air tankers and a helicopter dropped water and fire retardant. Six dozers dug a line around the fire to prevent its growth.
The fire was burning just east of last year's Kinishba Fire, which charred nearly 25,000 in Whiteriver and forced 5,000 to be evacuated.
The China fire burned mostly brush, pinon and juniper trees. If it would have jumped over the mountain, Palmer said it could have runaway.
``It had the potential to really cause havoc that close to homes and had the potential to get into timber,'' she said.
