The massive Bush Fire northeast of metro Phoenix continues to grow and had consumed nearly 115,00 acres by Thursday morning, authorities said.
The blaze eating up tall grasses and brush in Tonto National Forest was 5% contained. No structure damage or injuries have been reported.
The fire has been thriving on a combination of high temperatures, winds up to 30 mph and an abundance of dry vegetation.
At 114,941 acres, the Bush Fire is the seventh-largest wildfire in Arizona history, according to KTAR News 92.3 FM research. No. 6 on the list is the Willow Fire, which consumed 119,500 acres southwest of Payson in 2004.
Hundreds of residents in the nearby Apache Lake, Sunflower, Punkin Center and Tonto Basin communities have been evacuated, and Jakes Corner has been placed on alert for potential evacuations.