Arizona Wildfires

A brush fire believed to have been started by a crashed remote control airplane in north Phoenix was successfully put out early Monday, according to authorities.

As motorists started heading out of town for the holiday weekend, a brush fire north of Phoenix prompted evacuations and tied up traffic on Interstate 17.

A popular recreation area is likely to remain closed through the Fourth of July holiday as the Woodbury Fire continues to burn east of Phoenix.

Flags are to be lowered to half-staff on Sunday in honor of the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots who lost their lives in the 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire.

As firefighters gained more control of the Woodbury Fire, management of the forest blaze near Phoenix changed hands heading into the weekend.

Sunday marks the six-year anniversary since 19 members of the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew lost their lives protecting the community from the Yarnell Hill Fire.

The Woodbury Fire burning east of Phoenix grew to more than 120,000 acres on Tuesday evening, becoming the fifth-largest fire in Arizona history.

Crews battling the Woodbury Fire are gaining the upper hand, slowing the spread and increasing containment to nearly 50% going into Tuesday, giving evacuees hope of returning home soon.

Perryville Fire Crew Captain Joe Barreras said desolate terrain, heavy vegetation and venomous wildlife have made battling the Woodbury Fire a challenge.

The Woodbury Fire tearing through a national forest outside of Phoenix is already the sixth-largest fire in state history but the biggest remains the monstrous Wallow Fire in 2011, at nearly 540,000 acres.