Bush Fire Near Phoenix Grows To 184,674 Acres, Is 42% Contained

PHOENIX — The Bush Fire in the Tonto National Forest has grown to 184,674 acres and was 42 percent contained as of Monday morning, officials said. It's currently the largest fire actively burning in the United States.

In a video posted Monday to Facebook, fire officials said containment has grown "pretty significantly" since Sunday, and previously evacuated residents and business owners on the Highway 188 corridor have been allowed to return to the area.

Officials said burned areas to the southwest, nearest the Phoenix metro, and up State Highway 87 to Mount Ord have mostly been extinguished, although fire crews remain on scene to treat hot spots.

Recent fire activity was reported to the north of Mount Ord, but officials said spread has been contained. Crews are still working to mop up that fire as well.

In the northern tip of the burned area, officials said no new activity has been seen in several days. “It’s in a really good place," a spokesman said.

The fire is most active to the south, and occasional smoke could still be visible in the Salt River area.

On its website, the Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program said smoke might still settle over rim country but will continue to lessen as the fire is contained.

Those seeing smoke will mostly be between Tonto Basin North and Payson, where smoke could spread east and west along rim country. Heber-Overgaard, Show Low and Fort Apache Reservation are most likely to be impacted by the smoke, along with the Interstate 17 corridor north of the Phoenix metro area.

Citing its own research, KTAR News 92.3 FM reported Monday that the Bush Fire has now reached the No. 5 slot among Arizona's largest wildfires in recorded history.

According to the report, the American Red Cross has set up evacuation centers at the Payson Police Department and in Miami at Lee Kornegay Intermediate School.

As efforts to contain the fire continue, the following roads are closed, KTAR reports.

• State Route 87 between Bush Highway and Payson
• State Route 188 from State Route 87 to Roosevelt Lake
• State Route 88 from Apache Lake to State Route 188

A meeting was held to discuss the Bush fire on Sunday afternoon. You can watch a full recording of the meeting below.