Arizona / West

Mount Graham fires still only 95% contained; road to reopen

SAFFORD - Firefighters weren't able to contain a pair of wildfires burning on Mount Graham by Sunday night, as had been expected. Crews found a lot of hot spots that could prove problematic, said Marylee Peterson, a spokeswoman for the crew fighting the fire. "They need to make sure they have a good handle on it before they declare it contained," Peterson said. Fire managers say it could be midweek before they declare the blazes fully contained. The fires, together called the Nuttall Fire Complex, have burned 29,400 acres and remained 95 percent contained. Cabin owners and those who work at the observatory on Mount Graham will still be allowed to return to the area today. The cabins and telescope site have been evacuated for two weeks because of the fires. Crews will continue monitoring hot spots and cleaning up burned areas, Peterson said. Fire near wilderness

Elsewhere in Arizona, a wildfire burning just outside the Four Peaks Wilderness area, about 40 miles east of Phoenix, had consumed 1,000 acres by Sunday. The Fox Fire was burning grass and brush in a remote location about six miles west of Highway 188, said Tonto National Forest spokesman Dave Killebrew. It was moving up the east side of the Four Peaks mountain range, Killebrew said. No structures were threatened and the fire was moving away from inhabited areas, he said. The nearest structures were about six miles away at the Cholla Bay Campground, and the closest homes were about eight miles away. The fire, reported Saturday afternoon, was caused by lightning. More than 150 firefighters, one heavy air tanker, 4 single engine air tankers and five helicopters were battling the blaze, Killebrew said.