Several fires burn in Tonto National Forest; recreation sites evacuated

TONTO NATIONAL FOREST, AZ (AZFamily)—Crews are battling multiple fires that broke out in the Tonto National Forest during Sunday night’s thunderstorms.

At this point, no buildings have burned, and no homes have been evacuated. However, the Tonto National Forest says it is prioritizing putting out the fires that have the potential to threaten homes or infrastructure.

Recreation sites and campgrounds have been evacuated at Bartlett and Horseshoe lakes.

Crews say the hot weather and steep, rugged terrain in that forest are making tackling a handful of these fires even more challenging.

“The scoopers came from Colorado and Idaho so we are getting resources wherever we can get them at this point,” Punky Moore with the Tonto National Forest said.

Some of the fires are just miles apart. “We were told there were about 800 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes around the radius of the Sandstone Fire yesterday,” Moore said.

The Sandstone Fire has been burning for close to two weeks north of Fountain Hills and burned more than 27,000 acres so far.

Moore says lightning from Sunday night’s thunderstorms sparked several of these new wildfires.

“Over the winter when we had the rain, that grew an abundance of grass and as that grass dried out, that helps carry the fires as they start,” Moore said.

The Skeleton Fire has burned around 24,034 acres and is 30% contained as of Thursday night. This fire started near the Agua Fria National Monument east of Highway 17, just north of the Valley. It has since spread east into the Tonto National Forest near Forest Road 14.

The Clair Fire is burning about 2,170 acres southwest of Horseshoe Lake Reservoir near Forest Road 205, about 15 miles northeast of Cave Creek. Horseshoe Lake campgrounds are closed. The fire is 51% contained.

Nearby, the Bartlett Fire is burning about 6,161 acres on the west side of Bartlett Lake, north of Bartlett Flats. All recreation sites at Bartlett Lake and Bartlett Dam Road are closed. The fire was 69% contained as of Friday morning.

East of those fires, the Wally Fire (previously known as the Walnut Fire) is burning about 685 acres just west of Tonto Basin and Highway 188. The blaze is 50% contained.

Type-one helicopters are also flying over some of these fires, dropping 7,000 gallons of water at a time on these flames.

Moore says Arizonans should check AZ511 for road closures and sign up for emergency alerts in their area to stay up to date with evacuations.

These wildfires are all ongoing, and officials say the situation is still evolving.

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