Fire nearing containment

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UPDATE: Monday morning

LAVEEN -- Firefighters say the Ethan fire could be fully contained as early as Tuesday.

The fire has burned more than 6,600 acres of a remote section of the Gila River Indian Reservation.

Crews say that a fire line was successful and has prevented the flames from moving up the dry river.

UPDATE: Saturday evening

LAVEEN -- Evacuated residents of 18 homes near a fire burning in the brush-choked Gila River bed south and west of Laveen were being allowed to return home Saturday night.

Bill Watt with the state Forestry Division says the 50 people were told to leave their homes Saturday afternoon as the fire continued to burn to the south and a morning effort to stop the blaze at a fire break failed.

Crews worked to establish a line at a river crossing on the Gila River Indian Community and the blaze was 30 to 35 percent contained by nightfall.

Watt says no homes have been lost to the fire.

The latest measurements show the fire has nearly doubled in size in the past day and has now consumed 5,400 acres of salt cedar and mesquite. That's nearly 8 square miles of brush.

Watt says 211 firefighters are assigned to the blaze, aided by three bulldozers, 11 engines and both light and heavy air tankers.

The blaze broke out Wednesday afternoon and was caused by lightning.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

UPDATE: Friday evening

Firefighters have gone into a defensive stance as the Ethan fire came dangerously close to houses in the 67th avenue and Estrella area.

It is unknown if the fire jumped a physical fire line or if it began growing in an unpredicted manner.

About 10-15 homes were in danger.

UPDATE: Friday morning

GILA RIVER INDIAN RESERVATION -- The air seemed to be clearing Friday morning on the Gila River Indian Reservation where the Ethan Fire has burned about 1,200 acres in two days, sparking several evacuations.

The early estimates had put the burned acreage at more than 2,200 acres, but that figure was revised down to 1,200 Friday morning.

Some 40 people were evacuated due to air-quality concerns. A voluntary evacuation order was issued to about 100.

The Red Cross shelter that was opened to house those people closed Thursday night.

A hot-shot crew from Hell's Gate out of Payson arrived on site Friday morning to evaluate the situation.

Air tankers tried to fight the fire from the air Thursday, but were not effective.

Bulldozers then cleared a fire line. The current plan is to let the fire burn itself out, but crews are not sure when that will happen.

Calm winds are working in firefighters' favor.

Smoke and ash from the fire shifted toward central and east Phoenix Thursday evening.

PREVIOUS REPORT:

GILA RIVER INDIAN RESERVATION -- Winds keep changing and no buildings have burned but 100 people are under voluntary evacuation orders due to the Ethan fire.

Only a few residents have actually left their homes but another 40 have been evacuated because of air quality concerns.

At one point the Ethan fire was quickly approaching PIR. Fire crews kept it from reaching the raceway and other nearby buildings but the fire continued burning through hundreds of acres of the Salt River channel.

The Ethan fire may be burning in a remote area but it is affecting the entire Valley.

Smoke from the fire turned the sun red, the sky black and earlier Thursday evening the plume shifted and drifted toward Central Phoenix.

Ben Davis, who is in charge of monitoring air quality for Maricopa County. He said the air quality dipped after sunset.

Ash from the fire is falling in several areas and fire crews tried dousing the fire from above, but air tankers were ineffective.

Now the plan is to bulldoze a fire line and hope the Ethan fire burns out but for a variety of reasons they are not sure when it will happen.