x
Breaking News
More () »

Woodbury Fire in Superstition Wilderness burns 123,404 acres, now 68% contained

The Woodbury Fire is the 5th largest wildfire in Arizona history.

Editor's note: The above video is from our 5 p.m. newscast on Thursday. 

The Woodbury Fire burning in the Superstition Wilderness has grown to 123,404 acres, officials said Thursday.

But the human-caused fire that sparked on June 8 is now 68% contained as of Thursday evening.

The Woodbury Fire is currently the largest fire in the country, according to the incident information system which keeps track of wildfires across the U.S. It is now the fifth-largest wildfire in Arizona history.

The southeastern edge of the fire, north of Government Hill, is the latest area to be contained, according to the Southwest Area Incident Management Team.

There are now 538 firefighters working to contain the Woodbury Fire.

Credit: 12 News

Crews are working to put out hot spots inside the perimeter. Smoke may be blowing from the fire toward State Route 188 and the Roosevelt area.

Officials say no structures have been lost and there have been no major injuries since the fire began.

The Gila County Sheriff's Office lifted the evacuation notice for all Roosevelt area residents on Tuesday. Officials also announced State Highway 188 is now fully open from Globe to Payson with temporary reductions in speed.

Credit: Tonto NF

Residents of the Roosevelt and Roosevelt Lake area received an evacuation alert June 20 asking them to leave the area immediately. A temporary shelter for those residents was set up at Lee Kornegay School.

The fire, according to officials, mostly grew in the area near Yellow Jacket Spring south of Roosevelt Lake on Monday.

RELATED: Wildfires push animals out of their habitat

The Superstition Wilderness and adjacent campgrounds are closed along State Highway 188 east of the Roosevelt Dam. Officials said crews will "continue to patrol the Highway 188 corridor to ensure all values in the Roosevelt area are protected."

State Highway 88 is closed from Tortilla Flat to State Highway 188 at the Roosevelt Dam. 

The Tonto National Monument is also closed. Stage 1 Fire Restrictions remain in place for the Tonto National Forest.

Before You Leave, Check This Out