The Bush Highway has been closed from Power Road to Usery Park Road due to the Cactus Fire burning north of Mesa. The fire was estimated at 25 acres on Wednesday morning.
No homes have been evacuated, but crews have asked people to leave the campgrounds and day use areas in the forest.
Carrie Templin with the Tonto National Forest said ground crews are working to contain the blaze as it burns in the Salt Riverbed.
"It’s down in the river bottom where there is a lot of salt cedar and mesquite trees, so yesterday afternoon people were seeing a pretty good column of smoke," said Templin.
Templin said she doesn’t anticipate this fire going for a long time, but it’s hard to estimate how long it’ll burn.
David Albo, with Tonto National Forest, said the cause is under investigation, but believed to be human-caused.
“Be careful with campfires. If you’re towing vehicles, make sure your trailer chains are locked up, not dragging on the ground, not throwing cigarettes out the window," Albo said. "Any new fire stretches our resources more thin.”
Albo said about 35 people are working to contain the fire. He said Phon D Sutton, Granite Reef and Coon Bluff recreation sites are all closed.
