Horse Mesa Dam Wildfire

Apache Lake Marina and Burnt Corral Campground will close to the public Friday, 8 a.m.

PHOENIX, July 1, 2021 — Firefighters are responding to a wildfire, named the Painted Fire, on the Tonto National Forest east of Forest Road 80 near Horse Mesa Dam and Apache Lake.

The Painted Fire was reported late Wednesday afternoon and is burning approximately 3 miles west of Apache Lake Marina. The lightning-caused fire has burned approximately 835 acres in dry thick brush and grass.

Visitors to the forest are advised the gate at Roosevelt Dam will close Friday, July 2 at 8 a.m. Arizona SR 88/Apache Trail will be closed to traffic near Roosevelt Dam just off SR 188 to Apache Lake Marina. In addition, visitors to Apache Lake Marina and Burnt Corral Campground will need to leave these recreation sites by 8 a.m. in the morning.

The closure will be in effect to protect the health and safety of the public and firefighters as fire crews respond to prevent the fire's spread. Motorists are cautioned to slow down while traveling along SR 88/Apache Trail as they may encounter response crews and heavy firefighter equipment.

Currently, one hotshot crews, two type 1 helicopters and two engines are working in tandem with aerial resources to halt the fire's progression.

The public is urged to follow us on our social media sites for the latest update on the fire at https://www.facebook.com/TontoNationalForest/; and Twitter at https://twitter.com/TontoNF.

The Tonto National Forest Stage 3 forest closure is still in effect and Stage 2 fire restrictions apply to the lakes and recreation areas that have remained open since the closure. The closure order and maps along with the Stage 2 fire restrictions order and map are available on the Tonto website at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/tonto/alerts-notices.