Federal officials are expecting to close an area of the Coconino National Forest on Thursday in order to battle the Wilbur Fire.
It was sparked by lightning on the Mogollon Rim south of Flagstaff and had consumed 472 acres by Wednesday morning.
Firefighters will begin cutting hazardous trees in its path along State Route 260 and anticipate traffic delays as a result.
The latest blaze is just one of several fires burning in northern Arizona right now, including a prescribed burn scheduled for south of Flagstaff and one scheduled for the Grand Canyon’s South Rim.
