Brush fire in Arizona temporarily closes SR 87

PAYSON, Ariz. (CNN, KYMA/KECY) - Both directions of State Route (SR) 87 in Arizona were temporarily closed Saturday.

A brush fire broke out around noon, leading to the shut down which lasted about five hours.

A Saturday afternoon drive home to Payson from the valley took longer than usual for Doug Breskin as SR 87 was closed for five and a half hours because fire crews were battling a brush fire near mile marker 228.

"I don't feel like making the long drive on an alternate route today, so I'm just going to wait it out," Breskin shared.

Tonto National Forest officials say the Slate Fire started from a flat tire of a vehicle.

A helicopter and nearly half a dozen fire engine crews worked to contain it while cones and guard rails stopped cars at Bush Highway, the final exit before the fire on SR 87.

"For one, you get in the way of the firefighters trying to do their job potentially. It's dangerous, the fires can spread very quickly and you know you just don't want to be around that," Breskin expressed.

As the weather starts to heat up, and we get into the time of the year that sees more and more of these brush and wildfires, Breskin knows to prepare for long waits.

"When I hear that, I usually turn around because I know it takes a while," Breskin remarked.

Fortunately, SR 87 opened back up right at 5:00 p.m., an hour and a half after Breskin first got there.