Arizona wildfire destro ys 12 homes; 200 people evacuated

Approximately 40 people spent the night at a shelter at a high school in a nearby community, Red Cross spokesman Mike Sagara said.

A small community in south-central Arizona remained under an evacuation notice on Friday after crews and air tankers stopped the growth of a wildfire that burned at least 12 homes, officials said. The fire burned through thick vegetation at the bottom of the Gila River in Dudleyville, a census-designated place with a population of about 1,000 located about 60 miles (97km) north of Tucson. Officials said the fire continued on Thursday to an estimated 500 acres (2km) with containment around 20% of its perimeter as of Friday. The cause of the fire was under investigation.