Multiple wildfires continue to wreak havoc east of Phoenix

PHOENIX — Six active wildfires continue to rage east of the Phoenix area, consuming more than 106,000 acres between them.

The Griffin Fire, which started Aug. 17 and is the largest blaze currently burning, has consumed 61,995 acres and grew to 44% containment.

A long stretch of U.S. 60 between Globe and Show Low remains closed in both directions as a result of the blaze.

Burning north of Globe, the Salt Fire has burned 21,670 acres and is 71% contained.

The Superstition Fire has burned 9,539 and containment has grown from 44% to 58%. Eastbound State Route 88 from northeast of Apache Junction to the Apache Lake area is closed because of the fire.

The Griffin, Salt and Superstition fires were sparked by lightning strikes last week.

Meddler Fire has grown to 84% containment and has burned 4,452 acres.The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Most recently, the Lofer and Medicine fires have popped up near Whiteriver and Cibecue, respectively.

The Medicine Fire has burned 8,930 acres and is 60% contained while the Lofer Fire has burned 313 acres and is 0% contained.

Crews on the fires are hoping rain will help contain the blazes.

More than 800,000 acres have been destroyed by wildfires in Arizona this year. Activity usually fizzles by July because of seasonal monsoon rainfall, but storms have largely failed to materialize.

That’s still short of the record 1.1 million acres lost in 2011, when the Wallow Fire along burned over a half million acres and the Horseshoe 2 Fire consumed 222,000 acres.

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