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Fire consumes 7,200 acres in Arizona forest

Posted at 10:00 PM, Jun 08, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-09 00:00:22-04

Firefighters are still working to contain a fast-moving wildfire in the Tonto National Forestin Arizona.

The Mountain Fire, which was reported Friday afternoon, has burned about 7,200 acres in the national forest northeast of Phoenix, according to InciWeb, an interagency emergency management service.

The fire was human-caused, officials said, without providing more details.

Strong winds are making it difficult to fight the fire, CNN affiliate KPHO reported.

Day-use areas and campgrounds near Horseshoe and Bartlett lakes have been closed, creating long lines of vehicles leaving the park, KPHO reported. The national forest covers about 3 million acres and is a popular recreational spot.

Eight engines and three crews were fighting the fire Saturday morning, along with air tankers and helicopters dipping water out of Bartlett Lake. More resources have been ordered.