Restrictions lifted, evacuees near Woodbury Fire can return home
Jun 25, 2019, 11:26 AM | Updated: Jun 27, 2019, 6:44 am
The Woodbury Fire from the Roosevelt Dam on June 20, 2019. (ADOT Photo/Kevin Duby)
(ADOT Photo/Kevin Duby)
PHOENIX – Evacuees who have been displaced by the Woodbury Fire received good news late Tuesday morning: They can go home.
Gila County Sheriff J. Adam Shephard made the announcement at 11 a.m. The fire burning in the Superstition Mountains was nearly 50% contained after roaring through almost 116,000 acres as it neared Roosevelt Lake.
Containment reached 48% Monday.
An email from the sheriff’s department said there were still active areas within the fire perimeter and smoke would be noticeable for weeks.
Residents were asked to leave the lake area Thursday. They were told to bring medications, pets, valuables, important documents and money and to close all windows, window coverings and doors before leaving.
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Incident Command Center spokeswoman Pamela Mathis said early Tuesday that residents would likely be able to return soon.
The American Red Cross Greater Phoenix Chapter had opened a temporary shelter for people and small pets at Lee Kornegay School, 4735 S. Ragus Road in Miami. The site closed after restrictions were lifted.
Firefighters have managed to keep the burning from jumping across State Route 188. About 930 personnel remained on the job.
That highway has been reopened from Globe to Payson. A closure is still in effect on SR 88 between milepost 213 and SR 188.
The human-caused fire started June 8, about 5 miles northwest of Superior.
