The Spring Fire burned 1,500 acres north of Phoenix on Saturday and closed portions of the northbound lanes of State Route 87 during the afternoon, according to wildfire officials.

At about 1:40 p.m., the Tonto National Forest announced the wildfire at SR 87 and Forest Service Road 11, about 40 minutes north of the Phoenix area and south of Sunflower.

The Arizona Department of Transportation announced a closure of the northbound lanes of SR 87 as smoke could be seen from the freeway, the agency said.

By about 7:45 p.m., ADOT opened one lane of northbound SR 87, leaving only the right lane closed.

Five Hotshot crews and over six aircraft were battling the fire as of Saturday night, according to Tonto National Forest, which used resources from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and ADOT.

The cause of the fire was unknown as crews fought one of the many wildfires burning throughout the state, which have been assisted by hot and dry conditions.

SR 87 connects the Valley with northern Arizona weekend destinations such as Payson, Woods Canyon Lake, the Mogollon Rim and Show Low.

Northbound drivers who need to get around the closures should expect to take U.S. 60 east, and then State Route 188 to head north.

For immediate updates on when the highway reopened, visit AZ511.gov.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Spring Fire burns 1,500 acres, closes northbound SR 87