Containing Sycamore Fire

Updated 7:05 p.m., July 3, 2026

The weekend saw a red flag warning issued by the National Weather Service as severe fire weather encroached, with dry conditions and projected wind gusts of up to 50 mph. The region saw several new fire starts throughout the weekend, including the Steamboat Fire, six miles outside of Kearny and roughly 20 miles southwest of Globe-Miami.

The Steamboat Fire started on Friday and was 1,683 acres and 14% contained as of Monday morning. The cause is still unknown. Evacuation orders were lifted Monday evening for Linx and Victory Cross ranches, which were put on “GO” status Friday by Gila County Emergency Management. The Wind Spirit Community along Dripping Springs Road was also put on “Set” mode, meaning residents should be prepared to leave at a moment's notice if conditions worsen, but those orders were also rescinded on Monday.

The Wind Spirit Community reported ash falling on the property and visible active flames in the distance on Friday and Saturday.   

Sustained, strong and dry winds allowed the fire to grow quickly as it burned through desert brush and grasses, said Dolores Garcia, the public information officer on the fire. 

“Those conditions also didn't allow for the humidities to come up at night and it remained windy,” she said. “So the fires were active through the night, and that impacted some of the growth that we saw, especially through the weekend.” 

“As the wind pushes, it just really follows where the vegetation is and that grass is real dry and cured right now,” she said. “The flame hits it and it immediately takes off.” 

Once winds died down, the teams were able to work with aircraft and fire retardant, she said, allowing crews to make progress on the fire. That progress is expected to continue throughout the week with calmer winds in the forecast. As of Monday morning, nearly 200 personnel were committed to the incident, including five crews, six engines and a helicopter. 

Meanwhile, the Gold Fire near Pinto Valley Mine started on Saturday and was reported at 146 acres as of Sunday. David Stanley, manager of regulatory and external affairs for Capstone Copper, Pinto Valley, said on Monday that local fire departments had responded immediately to the fire and that it does not pose a threat to the mine site, though they are keeping an eye on it.

The Sycamore Fire, which has been burning since June 15 about 15 miles north of Globe, remains the largest of 10 active wildfires burning across Arizona and New Mexico. However, by Monday morning, containment of the lightning-caused fire grew from 37% to 60% after firefighters successfully held containment lines through a weekend of extreme fire weather, with the entire south-facing end secured.   

Haystack Ranch remains on "set," and an emergency closure remains in effect around the fire, with Forest Service roads 303, 584 and 219 closed. 

By Monday morning, nearly 480 personnel remained on the fire, including 26 engines, 7 crews and four helicopters.  

Most of the fire is burning through grass and brush, said Matthew Wilcox, lead public information officer of the Sycamore Fire, while higher-elevation areas on the western side have spread into pinyon pine and juniper. 

Crews had prepared for the weekend’s red flag conditions by conducting a 2,800-acre burning operation to help secure the fire's eastern flank on Thursday to strengthen containment lines, he said. Since June 21, the crews have been working on the fire around the clock, taking advantage of cooler evening temperatures for some of the firing operations.

“The firing operations are very weather dependent,” Wilcox said. “We need it to be dry enough for the fire to take, but also not too dry where it's going to go past our containment lines.” 

“The next few days are critical days, where all the work we've done, and putting in these containment lines and these contingency fire lines, is going to be tested,” Wilcox said on Thursday.

Wilcox urged the public to observe the Stage 1 fire restrictions in the Tonto National Forest and do their part to prevent human-caused fires. 

Other active fires in the state include the White Tail Fire in San Carlos, the Pocket Fire in the Coconino Forest, and the Flat Fire near Heber.