NUTRIOSO, Ariz. (AP) -- Nearly 600 firefighters continued working Friday to keep a 6,000-acre fire from reaching this small community in far eastern Arizona near the New Mexico border.
The fire was 10 percent contained Thursday night and remained three to four miles from Nutrioso but was 1 1-4 miles from the area designated as a trigger point for evacuations, authorities said.
Bob Dyson, a spokesman for the crew fighting the blaze in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, said 25 fire engines were at Nutrioso in case the flames got any closer.
Lillian Chavez, emergency management coordinator for Apache County, said the residents and visitors in the Nutrioso area were warned on Tuesday when the fire was first reported to be prepared in case an evacuation was necessary.
She said the community has a small number of full-time residents but grows in the summer as people flee the hot desert weather for cabins in the community.
Nutrioso has one restaurant in town and the closest supplies and gas are 8 miles away in Alpine.
``I feel like a clock wound up waiting for the alarm to go off,'' said Penny Chipman, a retired nurse and teacher who has lived in Nutrioso for almost 10 years.
Chipman, 60, said she and her husband have had their truck packed with necessities and sentimental items since the Apache County Sheriff's Office told them to be ready to evacuate in as little as 15 minutes.
Some residents had evacuated livestock from the town to nearby Springerville and other communities not immediately threatened by the fire, Chipman said.
By Thursday night, there were 585 firefighters working on the blaze, including 10 elite ``hot shot'' crews.
Some crews worked overnight to hold lines on the northwest and south sides of the fire and finish constructing a line on the east side.
The Three Forks Fire was likely ignited by a camper, according to Dyson, who said its origin was at a campsite in the middle of the woods rather than a designated campground.
Some camp gear was found in the area but authorities had no immediate suspects for the fire, Dyson added.
Fire restrictions have been in place in Arizona since late May.
Heavy winds reaching 40 to 50 mph on Wednesday hampered firefighting efforts, blowing embers across fire lines and grounding air tankers.
The blaze was burning in meadows, pine, spruce and fir.
Planes dropped fire retardant on the flames while helicopters used nearby Sierra Blanca Lake to dip their 250-gallon buckets into and drop water on the fire.
