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Over 900 acres burned inside Gila National Forest; cause remains unknown
Firefighters respond to a wildfire on Iron Mesa in the Gila Wilderness, south of Willow Creek.
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No one was reported injured after a fire started inside Gila National Forest Sunday.
The fire was reported at 11:54 a.m. and grew to 901 acres as of 9 p.m. Sunday, pushed by winds gusting to 40 mph. It is burning in grass, timber, and dead and down logs in the Iron Mesa area, south of Willow Creek, according to a Gila National Forest social media post.
The Iron Fire was zero percent contained.
No one was reported injured and no structures were damaged, Gila National Forest spokesperson Maribeth Pecotte told the Journal.
The cause is unknown, she said.
"Hikers and backpackers should be aware of fast moving fire and the presence of firefighters and firefighting aircraft in the area," according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Two hotshot crews, two Type 6 engines and a Type 3 helicopter responded Sunday. Two additional hotshot crews and four more engines were ordered. A Type 3 Incident Command Team will assume command of the fire Tuesday morning, according to Gila National Forest.
On April 28, stage two fire restrictions were implemented for the Gila, which prohibits campfires and smoking except inside vehicles.
Over the next few days, the weather is expected to be cool, with increased humidity and cloud cover and lighter winds. This will likely help reduce the fire behavior, Pecotte said, but because it has been "so dry," it will not likely put out the fire right away.
This is a developing story.
