NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey declared a state of emergency Thursday because of a massive wildfire caused by the wind in Coconino County.
The fire in the tunnel, which burns about 14 miles north of Flagstaff, has risen to more than 20,000 acres as firefighters prepare for increasingly windy conditions expected on Friday.
THE HAND FOR RE-ELECTION OF THE SENATE GOP AIMS AT ARIZON’S CELLS FOR BORDER SECURITY IN A NEW BLITZ AD
The fire in the Arizona tunnel has already risen to more than 20,000 acres. (Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management)
WILDFIRE in Arizona triples as THOUSANDS RUN AWAY FROM HOME
The state of emergency will help employees provide resources to the people and communities affected by the fire, Ducey said in a statement.
Nearly 800 households in the area have been evacuated and the fire remains 0% contained, according to Koconino County officials.
Burnt grass and trees littered the landscape on Thursday, April 21, 2022, after a forest fire on the outskirts of Flagstaff, Arizona (Rachel Gibbons / Arizona Daily Sun via AP) (Rachel Gibbons / Arizona Daily Sun via AP)
“Although we have not yet declared a rate of containment for this fire, there has been a lot of work, progress and investment in building a line around many parts of the tunnel fire,” said Shelby Erickson, deputy commander of the incident.
Two firefighters observe hotspots from a forest fire on the outskirts of Flagstaff, Arizona, Thursday, April 21, 2022 (Rachel Gibbons / Arizona Daily Sun via AP) (Rachel Gibbons / Arizona Daily Sun via AP)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION
More than 370 firefighters were called to put out the blaze. Other on-site firefighting equipment includes five bulldozers, 30 fire engines, one air attack aircraft and three helicopters.
The cause of the fire is still being clarified.
Smoke from a wind-blown forest fire rises over neighborhoods on the outskirts of Flagstaff, Arizona, on Tuesday, April 19, 2022. Homes on the outskirts of Flagstaff were evacuated on Tuesday as strong winds caused a wildfire, closed a major highway and closed a major highway. plane. (Sean Golightly / Arizona Daily Sun via AP) (Sean Golightly / Arizona Daily Sun via AP)
Add Comment