Horseshoe Two Fire is now contained
Web Producer: Marissa Pasquet
PORTAL, Ariz. (AP) — The Horseshoe Two wildfire near Portal in southeastern Arizona is now 100 percent contained after burning more than 348 square miles of the Chiricahua mountains.
Fire officials said Sunday that they had completely surrounded the blaze that started on May 8. More than 400 firefighters are doing mop-up work, rehabilitating fire breaks and fixing cattleguards.
All evacuations have been lifted, but closure orders for the Chiricahua National Monument and the Coronado National Forest remain in place.
The fire was contained because it burned through all the fuel atop the mountains. The forest supports a huge diversity of plants and animals and is a world-renowned bird watching area. The prime birding areas will likely recover quickly because they were not badly burned.
The fire destroyed nine homes and 14 other buildings.
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