PHOENIX — The Woodbury Fire in the Superstition Mountains has not burned more acreage since Sunday but containment rose to 90%, officials announced Friday.
The 123,875-acre fire has held steady since Sunday, when it grew only 48 acres from the day prior. Firefighters have also gotten a greater handle on the blaze; containment was at 80% on Tuesday.
But the fire had already made history in Arizona: It is the fifth-largest wildfire in state history.
Ninty-four personnel are fighting the blaze burning five miles northwest of Superior, which sparked nearly a month ago on June 8.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but officials believe it was human-caused.
PREVIOUSLY: Woodbury Fire closures to stay in place as containment holds steady at 80%, officials say
Businesses in Tortilla Flat are still open, but State Route 88 is closed starting from Tortilla Flat to State Highway 188 at Theodore Roosevelt Dam.
Apache Lake, Apache Campgrounds, picnic sites and trailheads are closed and will remain closed until SR 88 is reopened.
The closure is expected to be a long term closure that will remain until Tonto National Forest and Arizona Department of Transportation officials evaluate and address all public safety concerns resulting from the fire.
Violating the closure can result in a $5,000 fine or imprisonment.
Tonto National Forest officials took over patrolling the fire from the Central West Zone Type Three Incident Management Team at 6 a.m. Friday.
The Burned Area Emergency Response will assess the scene to "determine and prioritize work to protect identified resources" and hand over the assessment to the Forest Service administration.
