Most of the residents ordered to evacuate because of a wildfire burning near Sonoita were allowed to return to their homes by Thursday evening.
The Kellogg Fire has burned about 250 acres of brush and tall grass near the Arizona 82 and Arizona 83 juncture. It began around 1 p.m. in Sonoita, just southwest of the county fairgrounds. Two vacant barns were destroyed.
Some areas around Santa Rita Road remain evacuated, state officials said. The fire was about 80 percent contained.
Fire crews, heavy air tankers, two single-engine air tankers and three helicopters were assigned to the fire.
An air tanker drops fire retardant along the edge of the Kellogg Fire on the north west side of Sonoita, AZ. on Thursday, June 1, 2017.
About 15 residences were initially ordered to evacuate because of the fire. But most of the evacuation orders were lifted by Thursday evening, according to the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management.
The fire started south of Arizona 82, just north of the Old Sonoita Highway, and near Arizona 83.
Arizona 82 and Arizona 83, which were closed for periods of time, have been reopened.
By 2:30 p.m. Thursday , the winds seemed to be sending the flames and smoke away from the handful of wineries dotting Arizona 82 a couple miles east of the Kellogg Fire.
Mark Beres said employees at his Flying Leap Vineyards, 342 Elgin Road, said Thursday’s wildfire was far less threatening than last month’s Sawmill Fire, which came within 8 miles of Sonoita-Elgin wine country. At Arizona Hops and Vines, 3450 Arizona 82, business seemed to keep pace with a typical Thursday — a handful of customers coming mostly from Tucson and Sierra Vista.
“I can see the planes dropping water and I can see the smoke,” said Alexandra Lamprell, who’s worked at the winery since February. “I can’t see flames or anything.”
Wildlands firefighters from Coronado National Forest deal with hot spots from the Kellogg Fire on the north west side of Sonoita, AZ. on Thursday, June 1, 2017.
Hops and Vines owner Shannon Zouzoulas said she and her partner/sister Megan Haller camped out at the winery during the Sawmill Fire as the blaze flirted with wine country. Zouzoulas, who lives in Vail, said she wanted to be on the vineyard in case they needed to evacuate their coterie of animals including chickens, a dog, cat, fish and a donkey.
