Effort to fully suppress Washington Fire near Payson enters final stages

PHOENIX — Firefighters battling the Washington Fire north of Payson are closing in on their goal of full suppression, officials said Friday morning.

The wildfire, which prompted evacuations last week, stopped spreading after burning through 515 acres. Meanwhile, containment is up to 77%, according to the latest incident report.

With the focus shifting toward repair and mop-up operations, Southwest Area Incident Management Team 1 will hand command back to local authorities on Saturday. Crews will continue monitoring for and responding to potential flare-ups.

Over 500 firefighters were still assigned to the Tonto National Forest incident as of Friday morning.

Are there any Washington Fire evacuation orders in effect?

The lightning-caused Washington Fire was first spotted Aug. 13 about 11 miles north of Payson, near Washington Park.

Authorities issued the first of several “GO” evacuation orders that night. All evacuations orders were lifted by Monday.

Shadow Rim Ranch, Washington Park and Mountain Ridge Cabin remained under the “SET” status of the state’s emergency alert system until officials deemed Thursday that those areas no longer in danger.

However, part of Tonto National Forest remained off limits to the public under an emergency closure order. The order is scheduled to expire Sept. 30 if it isn’t rescinded sooner.

This is an updated version of a story originally published on Aug. 14, 2025.

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