The brush fire that forced the closure of a portion of Interstate 17 northbound is now at 90% containment, Arizona State Forestry said.
The fire, which is now being called the Stage Fire, was just northwest of I-17 near New River, Arizona State Forestry Public Affairs Officer Tiffany Davila said. It quickly grew from 10 to 259 acres throughout Saturday afternoon and amassed a fleet of 62 fire responders with air support.
Northbound I-17 was closed at New River Road for most of Saturday as a result, according to a tweet from the Arizona Department of Transportation.
There were no evacuations or injuries reported from the fire, according to an email from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.The fire is believed to be human-caused, according to a tweet from Arizona State Forestry on Sunday morning.
In a tweet Sunday night the Arizona State Forestry said the fire was 90% contained.
Sasco Fire burning in Pinal County
As crews were fighting the Stage Fire in Maricopa County, others were fighting the Sasco Fire in Pinal County, which started Sunday afternoon.
The fire was located nine miles west of Red Rock and eight miles southwest of Picacho Peak, according to a tweet from Arizona State Forestry.
Arizona State Forestry launched aircraft to help fight the fire because it's on rocky and unstable terrain. It grew to 25 acres as of Sunday evening and was determined to be human-caused, Arizona State Forestry said.
Crews stopped forward progress of the fire as of Sunday evening, according
Wildfire season in Arizona
Fires along the I-17 are especially common during the summer months, often forcing the closure of the highway as crews work to gain control of the blaze. Davila urges travelers and land users to prevent wildfires from starting in the first place by doing the following:
- Avoid pausing or parking a car or truck in tall grass or over shrubs.
- Don't let chains drag while driving as they can spark and cause a fire.
- Put campfires, cigarette butts and matches out cold before walking away.
- Always keep an eye on your fire. Don't walk away from it.
- Fasten trailer chains securely. Dragging them on asphalt can cause sparks that could start a fire.
- Mow high grass and tend to your plants regularly.
- Move wood, gas tanks and anything flammable away from your house if a fire near your property is likely.
This is a developing news story. Check back at azcentral.com for updates.
Reach Ryan at ryan.vlahovich@arizonarepublic.com or follow him on Twitter @vlahovichryan
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Stage Fire near I-17 at 90% containment; Sasco Fire starts near Picacho Peak - AZCentral
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