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Firefighters working to slow Woodbury Fire progression toward homes

The Woodbury Fire burning in the Superstition Wilderness has burned more than 65,000 acres since it sparked on June 8.

MIAMI, Arizona — An ominous haze has settled over the Superstition Mountains.
It takes over the Miami skyline.

Miami High School in Miami, Arizona, which is roughly 12 miles away from the fire, hosted a community meeting about the Woodbury Fire.

RELATED: Woodbury Fire surpasses 65,000 acres, now 34% contained

Pat Spencer is one of the many who attended.

"It's heartbreaking when you have to leave your home, and it's scary when it's this close," said Spencer.

Spencer has lived in Roosevelt Estates for 20 years with her husband.

"My husband built our home," said Spencer.

Thursday, Spender was one of the 250 homes in the Roosevelt area to be evacuated.

Craig Daugherty, an Operation Section Chief, says the fire has made several pushes towards those homes, but so far, firefighters have been able to keep it at bay.

"Last week, it made this big push on us here toward Tortilla Flat," said Daugherty, pointing out the fire's progression on a map. "All that part of the fire is looking pretty good. Now a lot of the concern is on the east side, this is where it's going."

Daugherty is pointing to the Roosevelt Area. As of Friday night, the fire was about a mile away from State Highway 188, which runs along Roosevelt Lake.

But Daugherty said firefighters burned brush around the residential areas to help slow down the flames.

The burnouts effectively burn away the fire's fuel source.

"It makes a bigger fire when that fire comes and hits that," he said.

Fire officials said as of 8 p.m. Friday, the Woodbury fire had burned nearly 66,000 acres and was about 34% contained. 

The Red Cross is in need of donations. You can help them out here.

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