All evacuation orders related to the Washington Fire north of Payson were lifted on Monday, officials said. The size of the wildfire has been stable at 515 acres in recent days, with containment climbing to 21%, according to Tuesdayโs incident report. With control lines holding, crews are shifting efforts toward repair and mop-up operations. Over 600 firefighters are currently assigned to the incident. The lightning-caused Washington Fire was first spotted Aug. 13 about a mile northwest of Washington Park in Tonto National Forest. The first โGOโ evacuation orders were issued that night, and other areas were added later in the week. Although the โGOโ orders have been lifted, the Shadow Rim Ranch, Washington Park and Mountain Ridge Cabin areas remain in the โSETโ status of the stateโs emergency alert system, meaning residents there should be on alert for potential evacuations. Meanwhile, part of Tonto National Forest remains off limits to the public under an emergency closure order.
