Highlights
- The Bronco Fire had burned roughly 60 acres in Tonto National Forest as of 10:30 p.m. Saturday.
- Red flag winds gusting 45 to 50 mph are driving a moderate to high rate of spread, the U.S. Forest Service said.
- Forest Service Road 24 north of Bronco Trailhead is closed; no evacuation orders have been issued.
- One hot shot crew, six engines, and Maricopa County Sheriff's Office personnel are on scene.
A wildfire ignited Saturday night in the Cave Creek Ranger District of Tonto National Forest, northeast of Cave Creek, and had burned roughly 60 acres by 10:30 p.m. before crews could establish containment lines.
The U.S. Forest Service said the fire is "actively burning at a moderate to high rate of spread due to red flag winds." A red flag warning covering portions of Maricopa County remains in effect through the weekend, with gusts expected between 45 and 50 mph, according to ABC15. Low humidity is compounding the danger.
Forest Service Road 24, north of Bronco Trailhead, has been closed. No evacuation orders are in place as of Sunday afternoon.
One hot shot crew is on scene, supported by six engines and Maricopa County Sheriff's Office personnel. The cause of the fire had not been released as of the time of publication.
The fire is being reported by KTAR, ABC15, and FOX 10 Phoenix, among others. The town of Cave Creek posted an alert on its civic alerts page.
Acreage and containment updates are expected as crews work through Sunday.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- ktar.com retrieved 17/05/2026 14:52
- ABC15 Arizona retrieved 17/05/2026 14:52
- Fox 10 Phoenix retrieved 17/05/2026 14:52
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 17/05/2026 14:52. Every claim traces to a source.
