Fire crews are battling a wildfire near Apache Junction and another near New River, and evacuations have been ordered for some areas.
The fires have been named the Siphon Fire and the Point Fire and are actively growing as of Thursday morning.
Siphon Fire
The Siphon Fire has burned more than 2,300 acres in the Superstition Wilderness northeast of Apache Junction and is at 0% containment.
Siphon Fire burning in the Superstition Wilderness
According to the Maricopa County Department of Emergency Management late Thursday morning, the sheriff’s office is evacuating the Canyon Lake/Tortilla Flat area.
A SET evacuation notice has been prompted for some residents in Apache Junction. Officials say residents east of Mountain View Road and west of the Tonto National Forest should be prepared to evacuate.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
An ABC15 viewer shared a view of the fire burning Tuesday night with flames and smoke seen from nearby neighborhoods.
Point Fire
The Point Fire is burning five miles northeast of New River near West Point Mountain, Tonto National Forest officials said Tuesday.
The fire has charred about 2,500 acres of rocky terrain as of Thursday and is believed to be human-caused. It is 0% contained.
The public is asked to avoid Forest Road 41.
See video from the scene Wednesday morning in the video player below:
Point Fire burning near New River
Air quality and other firefighting efforts
The fires, combined with California wildfire smoke, caused hazy conditions in the Valley on Wednesday.
High winds and dry conditions are increasing wildfire risk across Arizona. A Fire Weather Warning (also known as a Red Flag Warning) was issued for Mohave County on Wednesday.
Smoke from wildfires burning in California is also pushing into Arizona. Much of this will stay high in the sky and have little impact on the air we breathe near the ground, ABC15 meteorologists said early Wednesday.
Multiple other fires are burning around the state including the West and Preacher fires, which are thousands of acres in size and 0% contained.