Firefighting efforts to stem the growth of the Horton Fire continued after the somewhat rare winter wildfire had burned nearly 4,000 acres along the Mogollon Rim northeast of Payson.
The Horton Fire burned approximately 3,598 acres since it started on Dec. 14, according to InciWeb.
About 457 fire personnel were assigned to the fire on Sunday with containment remaining at 17% — the same figure reported the past several days.
“Firefighters had a successful day of firing operations and fireline enhancement yesterday and last night,” officials said in a Sunday news release. “Today, work will continue around Promontory Point, with ongoing ignitions below the rim between Horton Creek Trail and eastward towards Christopher Creek as work continues on this full suppression fire.”
A public meeting on the fire is scheduled for Monday at 6 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at 546 West Ashby Apple Drive. The meeting will be live streamed on the Tonto National Forest’s Facebook page.
Officials previously warned that smoke from the fire was expected to impact visibility along State Route 260, east of the Payson area toward Woods Canyon Lake.
The communities of Tonto Creek Estates, Tonto Christian Camp, Tonto Fish Hatchery, Kohls Ranch and Zane Grey Cabins were in “set” evacuation status as of Sunday.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Horton Fire at 17% containment with almost 4K acres burned near Payson