A wildfire burning south of Tucson spread to about 7,500 acres Monday afternoon, officials said.

The Sawmill Fire, which is burning about 10 miles southeast of Green Valley, ignited Sunday morning.

It had grown from about 1,500 acres Sunday afternoon, according to an update provided by the Arizona State Forestry Division’s wildfire incident website.

According to the site, high winds in the area were driving the fire’s expansion through grass and brush areas.

The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for much of Arizona through Tuesday evening, as a front moves through an area north of the state. That warning includes the area where the fire is burning, according to the site.

In addition, the Arizona Department of Transportation said a portion of State Route 83, about nine miles north of State Route 82, was closed because of the fire.

The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management and the U.S. Forest Service are overseeing the firefight, which has included 200 firefighters and the use of air tankers.

Six people had been evacuated for precautionary measures, and one other area is on standby, according to the site.

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