A fire burning all week about 15 miles northeast of Scottsdale is becoming less of a danger.
Containment of the Verde Fire reached 69% on Thursday morning, and command returned to local authorities.
The fire, which was sparked by lightning on Saturday evening, has consumed about 2,730 acres but hasn’t grown significantly since Tuesday, when a Type 3 incident team arrived on the scene to take command. Tonto National Forest service roads west of State Highway 87 remained closed, preventing entry into the Lower Sycamore, Sugarloaf and Mesquite areas. As firefighters continued working on containment at the south and southwest corner, the fire was still expected to produce visible smoke and ash.