PHOTO: A wildfire in the Superstition Wilderness that started Saturday has reached 18,500 acres and is 8% contained as of Monday night, according to the Tonto National Forest.
The fire, named the Sawtooth Fire, was started by lighting and is spreading in the same land as the Woodbury Fire, which burned 123,800 acres in 2019.
Evacuations were ordered Monday morning for the communities of Elephant Butte, Hardt Tank, and Angel Basin on the southern and eastern edges of the fire. An evacuation center has been set up at the Queen Valley Community Center. Peralta Road, Hewitt Station, Rogers Trough, and the Woodbury Trailhead are closed. The U.S. Forest Service issued a closure order prohibiting people from going into the restricted area.
The fire is burning grass and brush. About 200 firefighters are assigned to the fire, with multiple air resources dropping retardant and water.