Rim Fire up north marks one of Arizona’s first fires of 2026

Firefighters were able to slow down the further spread of a small wildfire that sparked southwest of Forest Lakes in the northern part of Arizona, marking one of the first wildfires in the region for 2026. The Rim Fire started on March 21 on Black Mesa Road about 5.5 miles southwest of Forest Lakes, according to the U.S. Forest Service in a post on Facebook. Forest Lakes is about two hours northeast of the Phoenix area and 40 minutes west of Payson, according to Google Maps.

The blaze grew to an estimated two to three acres and was caused by human activity, the Forest Service said. Crews from the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, Tonto National Forest and the Forest Lakes Fire District responded to fight the fire and worked overnight into March 22, building direct fire line, according to the Forest Service. Authorities earlier evacuated campsites north of the fire up to State Route 260 as a precaution.

Smoke was visible from State Route 260 and along the Mogollon Rim area, the Forest Service said.

In a later update, the agency said firefighters prevented the growth of the fire on March 22. It was mapped at 1.2 acres. Steep terrain and rolling debris continued to pose safety risks for crews, according to the Forest Service.

Rey Covarrubias Jr. covers business and breaking news for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Email him at: rcovarrubias@azcentral.com, and connect with him on Instagram, Threads, Bluesky and X (formerly Twitter) at @ReyCJrAZ.