Lightning-caused fire grows to 700 acres near Rio Verde

The Verde Fire, which was burning about four miles east of the Rio Verde golf community, grew to 700 acres and was 0% contained as of Sunday evening, according to Tonto National Forest officials.

Lightning from a monsoon storm Saturday night sparked the wildfire, which grew quickly as it chewed through grass and brush. It is most active on the northern and eastern sides away from homes, officials said.

The fire is located east of the Verde River near Black Mesa, approximately 2 miles northeast of Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, officials said. The area is remote and hard to get to.

"It's pretty inaccessible so (firefighters) are trying to find any access to get in there," Tonto National Forest spokeswoman Carrie Templin said. "With the potential for thunderstorms, we're being careful about where we want to lock crews in to make sure (they're safe)."

Firefighters are monitoring the fire from the air and looking for areas where they can put out the fire safely, according to forest officials. 

No homes are currently threatened, Templin said.

As a precaution, Tonto National Forest visitors in Lower Sycamore, Sugarloaf and north of Sugarloaf Road along Forest Road 160 are being asked to relocate to other areas of the forest, officials said.

Smoke is visible from Fountain Hills, Rio Verde, Fort McDowell, parts of the East Valley and the State Route 87 (Beeline Highway) corridor.

Visibility may be reduced on portions of State Route 87 overnight and into the early morning hours. Rio Verde residents may see a glow in the distance and smell smoke overnight, officials said.