PHOENIX — A fire that broke out east of Interstate 17 near New River on Saturday has grown to more than 500 acres but is not currently impacting the highway or forcing any evacuations, officials said.
The Central Fire is burning 503 acres about three miles east and northeast of New River, according to the Arizona State Forestry. The fire was at 250 acres earlier that day.
It is 20% contained.
It is believed to have began around 11 a.m. in the Tonto National Forest. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
About 70 firefighters from multiple agencies were working on the ground and in the air to stop the growth of the fire, which continued to burn north and away from homes.
Traffic on I-17 was not affected and there were no evacuations ordered as of Saturday afternoon.
12 News' Antonia Mejia contributed to this report.