The Horton Fire, which has been burning northeast of Payson since Dec. 14, reached 75% containment, according to officials.
The “set” status, in place since Dec. 17, was downgraded to “ready,” the lowest level of the state’s emergency alert system. This status advises residents to stay prepared and ready to evacuate if fire conditions worsen.
The fire started along Horton Creek Trail 292 in Horton Creek Canyon near the Mogollon Rim, rapidly growing from 45 acres to 300 acres within the first few days.
As of Jan. 4, 418 personnel worked to combat the fire — including 7 crews, 32 engines, 2 helicopters, 1 bulldozer and 4 water tenders.
By Tuesday evening, the fire expanded to 8,337 acres and was 23% contained. Smoke levels remained moderate to heavy throughout most of the week.
Issues with containment included high winds, difficult terrain and new winter patterns.
Firefighters worked on containing the fire through a winter storm on Thursday and finally reached higher levels of fire containment. Burned acreage was capped at 8,337 acres.
The fire was determined to be human-caused.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Horton fire capped at 8,337 acres and 75% containment