The Cedar Fire has now burned almost 36,000 acres in North Central Arizona.
Cedar Fire public information officer Rita Baysinger says the fire is no longer 40 percent contained.
But that doesn’t mean fire officials have lost control of the blaze. “With the large increase in acreage, that containment is now at 20 percent," she said. "However, none of the established containment lines that were established on the north side of the fire have ever been passed. So it’s not that there’s less black line around the fire, it’s just that there is more...fire.”
Pre-evacuation notices are still in effect for the White Mountain Apache reservation and the community of Cedar Creek. However, Baysinger says a shift in winds to the north and a chance for some rain today is offering some relief to the more than 800 firefighters working to contain the blaze.
Fire Information Officer Mike Johnson told KJZZ's The Show even if people do not have to leave their home, they should prepare.
“Folks can use this as an opportunity to start thinking about how they would evacuate if that happened to them,” Johnson said.
