Wildfire in Gila National Forest grows in size

Officials from Gila National Forest say a wildfire has grown nearly 3,000 acres in size.

Incident management authorities say some of the fire’s growth on Saturday was due to burnout operations aimed at keeping it from spreading. Crews were able to conduct burnout operations and proactively scout out the area when high winds held off until later in the day.

The blaze was 10 percent contained as of Sunday morning. Fire conditions are still extreme, with high temperatures and low humidity.

The fire started on Tuesday, and the cause is still under investigation.

More than 500 firefighters and other personnel are assigned to the fire, which is located northeast of Eagle Peak Lookout.

The area around the fire is closed, and the Continental Divide Trail has been rerouted.