A new brush fire has spread across 12 acres of land northwest of Phoenix not far from a populated area, officials said Friday.

“There are structures that may be endangered,” said Tim Eiden, Peoria Fire Department spokesman.

Eiden said the fire was burning near State Route 74 east of U.S. 60, near Morristown.

The fire is “being heavily affected by the wind,” and fire officials said a helicopter is being sent to drop water on the blaze. Numerous ground units also were in the area.

The fire has forced the closure of SR 74, between U.S. 60 and Castle Hot Springs, a roughly six-mile stretch, the Arizona Department of Transportation said in a tweet.

The Bureau of Land Management was overseeing the fire response, the agency said on its Twitter feed. The agency said the fire, dubbed the “Castle Fire,” apparently started in two or three spots along SR 74, which is a road between I-17 and US 60 that leads to Lake Pleasant.

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