Sawtooth Fire burns 21,000 acres in Superstition Wilderness of Arizona
by KPHO-TV (Phoenix) staff reports | posted: June 02, 2020
The Sawtooth Fire in Arizona's Superstition Mountains has burned 21,000 acres and forced nearby residents to leave their homes Monday.
Officials say there's a preliminary "go" notification for residents in northeast Queen Valley. The order only affects people living along Silver King Road and Williams Road. Firefighters plan to start back-burning operations in the area. The Pinal County Sheriff's Office is handling notifying residents and will be keeping a close eye on the situation in case more evacuations become necessary.
Crews are fighting the wildfire by air and on the ground just two miles northeast of the Peralta Trailhead in the Tonto National Forest. Officials say lightning-caused the blaze Sunday, and there are now at least 200 firefighters working it.
The Sawtooth Fire is just 8 percent contained and is burning grass and brush. It is located within the Woodbury Fire scar. The Woodbury Fire, a human-cause fire that started June 8, 2019, burned nearly 124,000 acres, making it the fifth-largest fire in Arizona history.