SUPERIOR, Ariz. – Hot, dry winds are fanning a wildfire in a national forest east of Phoenix, but fire officials haven’t ordered more residents to leave an area where than the 700 homes are already evacuated.
Fire spokesman Dick Fleishman said Saturday the fire in Tonto National Forest near Roosevelt Lake covers nearly 125 square miles, including areas charred by firefighters to starve the blaze of fuel.
That’s up from about 100 square miles reported Friday.
No homes have burned and no serious injuries are reported.
Fleishman says about 1,100 firefighters are battling flames in what he calls rugged “billy goat” country.
The fire is about 42% contained and burning north and east.
Smoke from the massive blaze has prompted health warnings in Arizona and New Mexico.
