HEREFORD, Arizona (KGUN) – Three fires in Hereford and Palominas last week were ruled to be human-caused.

Palominas Fire Chief John Buonacorsi said the fire was caused by a loose chain on a vehicle traveling on Highway 92. He said the fires started so close to the road and the fact that they all started one after the other indicated that a loose chain was the culprit.

The Wildhorse Fire was the largest due to the confluence of two fires. More than 600 acres of residential areas were burned, but no homes were damaged. Neighbors of the Three Canyons development worked together to ensure everyone in the neighborhood was safely evacuated.

Fran Matera, a resident of Three Canyons, said: “It was shocking. It was black and smoldering. Oh, there is a plastic fence by the entrance, but it was melting. It was just very sad.”

Local and federal firefighters extinguished the blaze six hours after it started. Robert Gallucci, who lives in the Three Canyons housing complex, said he was surprised all his neighbors’ homes survived after such a massive fire.

“No houses were burnt down, which means people want to talk about how good they are at their jobs. They’re great,” he said. I can’t believe those people. ”

Fly Fire Deputy Chief Caleb Mawsey said the fire progressed quickly, but the homeowners were able to keep their homes safe because they took good care of their property.

“They basically saved our homes the same way we did. I couldn’t,” he said. It was a true team effort. ”

Mawsey says it’s important to have “defendable spaces” around your home during wildfire season to keep fires from coming closer to your home. Fly Fire runs programs to educate homeowners on how to be more ‘fire safe’ and how best to protect their homes.