Ahead of the July 4 holiday weekend, officials will close most areas of the Tonto National Forest to the public.

Spokesperson Anne Thomas says this is a fire safety precaution; 225,000 acres of the national forest have already burned this year. 

“Not only are we extremely dry but we had a bumper crop of grass and shrubs because we had such a mild, wet winter,” Thomas said.

The closure goes into effect July 2 at 6 a.m. and will remain in place until the monsoon rains bring more moisture to the region.

This comes as fire crews mop up the Bush Fire, which has burned more than 193,000 acres and is now 98% contained.

It started in mid-June when an SUV caught fire on the shoulder of the Beeline Highway.

The Show spoke with Eric Solomon, a fire prevention program manager with the Tonto National Forest, about the intense fire danger. 

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