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Investigation Pending Into Brush Fire Near Tonto National Park

A brush fire that broke out near Tonto National Forest has stalled and authorities say they’ve reopened nearby recreational areas.

Authorities have reopened the recreation areas near Bartlett and Horseshoe lakes, as well as the access roads to them. The fire was first reported on Friday and spread quickly. As of Tuesday, the fire had burned 12 square miles and was 50 percent contained.

Fire officials believe the blaze, which was located about eight miles east of Cave Creek was human caused, but the investigation is still ongoing.

KJZZ senior field correspondent Kathy Ritchie has 20 years of experience reporting and writing stories for national and local media outlets — nearly a decade of it has been spent in public media.