Forest managers are closely watching a fire that sprang up as a result of a lightning strike last week.
The Hoyle fire was discovered on the morning of May 2 by Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests officials. The blaze is located within rugged terrain in the Rodeo-Chediski fire scar, approximately three miles southwest of Heber.
“A fire perimeter utilizing existing roads and natural features has been established around the fire,” the ANSF wrote in a release. The district is using the fire as an opportunity to clear the area of wildfire hazards as Arizona begins to enter fire season.
“While weather and fuel conditions remain favorable, fire managers will allow this fire to fulfill its natural role in the ecosystem to consume forest debris and return nutrients to the soil while actively keeping the fire within the established perimeter,” the district wrote.
Smoke may be present in the Heber and Overgaard communities, and the ANSF warns motorists along State Route 260, between mileposts 290 and 302, to be cautious in the fire area.