Forest officials in eastern Arizona are closing some areas of the Sitgreaves National Forest because of the growing wildfire danger.
Spokeswoman Cathy Dowd says the largest area is near the communities of Show Low, Pinedale, Clay Springs and Linden.
“They’re particularly dry,” Dowd said. “They have a high fuel load, and they’re also in locations where they put communities at risk if a wildfire does occur.”
Dowd says the Porter Mountain area, east of Show Low, is also off limits to protect vital communications equipment, and an area near the community of Vernon.