(Photo courtesy of inciweb.nwcg.gov)

Firefighters are using burnout operations to put out the Dove Fire, which has been raging for three weeks.

The Dove Fire has burned more than 12,000 acres in northeast Arizona over the past three weeks.

Victoria Wesley, supervisory forester for the San Carlos Tribal Forest, said that the area has seen numerous fires in recent years and that firefighters are using proven burnout strategies.

“This fits within that same natural occurrence of fires, and so that’s why we’re trying to let the fire do its thing,” Wesley said.

Officials originally hoped the fire would die out by July 20 but have since moved up that date. The fire is expected to burn nearly 13,500 acres.