Hundreds of firefighters poured into northern Arizona to battle the fire between Sedona and Flagstaff, and by Wednesday afternoon, the fire grew to an estimated 7 square miles, or about 4,500 acres. The erratic and gusty winds briefly grounded air tankers that were brought in to fight the fire.
Authorities also warned about 3,200 residents in communities near Flagstaff that they should be ready to evacuate if the fire makes another advance.
Officials are fearful that the fire could be a prelude for what could become a devastating wildfire season amid a drought that has left tinder-dry conditions across the state.
The blaze presented several challenges for firefighters, including steep terrain, thick pine forest, gusting winds and the drought conditions, said Bill Morse, a Flagstaff Fire Department captain and a spokesman for firefighting managers. The winds helped the fire race 2,000 feet up the canyon and to a plateau area.
The fire broke out at the start of the tourist season and closed the main road between Sedona and Flagstaff – two cities that attract visitors in summer months. The fire is burning near Slide Rock State Park, a popular recreation area because of its natural rock water slides.
Sophie Lwin, of Peoria, said she had relatives from the Los Angeles area coming in for a weekend at the Butterfly Garden Inn, which had to evacuate because of the fire. She said the area is her favorite destination, and she and her husband visit at least five times a year.
“It’s Memorial Day weekend. It’s going to be so hard and so expensive to get anything anywhere else,” she said.
About 500 firefighters and other personnel already are assigned to the fire, including 15 hot-shot crews.
But windy conditions forced firefighters to temporarily halt air resources such as retardant. They were flying again Wednesday evening.
Crews were focused on keeping the fire west of a highway near threatened homes. There were no reports so far of injuries or structures burned.
The cause of the fire wasn’t known, but authorities believe it was human-caused.
The fire forced the evacuations of 100 businesses and homes in a two-mile stretch north of the state park, and 15 people stayed at a shelter in Flagstaff. About 3,200 people in the communities of Kachina Village and Forest Highlands were told that they need to be ready to evacuate.
“As you can see, we are dealing with some pretty extraordinary circumstances with this fire. I want to reiterate that you basically have received your pre-evacuation notice. This is your time to get ready,” said Robert Rowley, emergency manager for Coconino County.
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