Bryce Fire grows to over 3,000 acres in southeastern Arizona, but threat subsides

PHOENIX — The Bryce Fire in southeastern Arizona spread a bit on Monday, but containment increased and the threat to surrounding communities subsided, officials said Tuesday morning.

The wildfire between between Fort Thomas and Pima in Graham County expanded to over 3,100 acres, with 29% containment, according to the latest incident report.

The fire was mapped at just under 2,900 acres with 25% containment on Monday morning.

Two areas near the fire — on the north side of US 70 between Eden Road and Fort Thomas and in the Fort Thomas river corridor — were placed in the SET status of the state’s emergency alert system over the weekend. However, authorities placed those areas back into READY status on Monday as the threat subsided.

UPDATE: The Bryce Fire burning east of Globe near Fort Thomas is nearly 3,000 acres is size. It is now 25% contained, according to the AZ Dept. of Forestry. @KTAR923 pic.twitter.com/tzuoDTv5og

— Heidi Hommel (@heidi_hommel) May 11, 2025

The US 70 remained open, but officials said it could close intermittently to allow for firefighting efforts. Additionally, Eden and River roads are closed at US 70.

A temporary fire restriction is in place to prevent drone flying while air support is on the scene.

When and how did the Bryce Fire start?

The Bryce Fire started Wednesday near US 70 and the Gila River, about 1.5 miles southeast of Eden, and grew significantly as winds picked up Friday and Saturday.

While the incident is classified as “human-caused,” no details about how it ignited have been provided.

Officials reported 80% containment on what was a 160-acre wildfire on Thursday, but high winds and rising temperatures caused the flames to spread in the ensuing days.

Over 280 personnel were assigned to the incident as of Tuesday morning.

This is an updated version of a story originally published on March 11, 2025.

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