A fire that broke out at the Safford Landfill late Sunday afternoon, sending black smoke into the air, was extinguished by fire crews by the early evening.
Safford Fire Chief Clark Bingham said his department was dispatched to the landfill around 5:30 p.m. With assistance from city crews and the Thatcher Fire Department, the Safford Fire Department managed to put out the fire in about three hours.
Bingham said two city water tankers and a tanker from each fire department worked to extinguish the blaze. Bingham added that around 40,000 gallons of water were used. The cause of the fire was unknown.