The Horton Fire, which has been burning along the Mogollon Rim northeast of Payson for more than a month, is now 89% contained.
Eight crews have made significant progress recently. On Jan. 6, the fire was only 19% contained. The job has taken 32 engines, three helicopters, a bulldozer and four water tenders.
According to a post by the Tonto National Forest on X, containment increased as crews completed containment lines along the majority of the SR-260 corridor.
The fire spanned 8,346 acres as of Wednesday evening, according to InciWeb. It was being fueled by ponderosa pines, mixed conifers and chaparrals.
A team has arrived to assess burn severity of the soil, Tonto National Forest reps said.
InciWeb said the cause of the fire is still under investigation, though initially, officials believed it was human-caused.
It is unusual to have wildfires during December, but weather conditions have fueled flames. The Arizona High Country has seen little precipitation over the past few months and warmer-than-average temperatures, according to Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management spokesperson Tiffany Davila.
See the area the fire covers here.
The Arizona Republic reporter Jose Gonzalez contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Horton Fire 89% contained: Burning along the Mogollon Rim near Payson