Two wildfires shut down I-17 between Highway-260 and Highway-169 Tuesday afternoon, forcing traffic through Prescott and Payson. Prescott National Forest spokesperson Debbie Maneely says the Pinto Fire and Copper Fire were likely caused by dragging chains or a cigarette thrown out a vehicle window; the exact cause is not known. Multiple agencies responded to the fires just south of Camp Verde, including a Type-1 and Type-2 crew, Fuels Crews, 4-engines and 2-helicopters. I-17 had one lane open in both directions by 8-pm with the interstate fully reopened by 9:30.
