Currently, the department reports that only 3% of the fire in the tunnel is considered to be under control.
Strong winds and dry air currents from the north and northeast are hampering firefighters’ efforts to gain control, firefighters said in a press release on Saturday, adding that crews were moving to respond.
Bulldozers and ground crews have worked to build fire lines to stop or slow the fire, officials said.
As of Saturday morning, Coconino County had registered 334 personnel at the scene with resources, including 18 engines, nine crews, five bulldozers, three helicopters and one air attack aircraft.
The fire started on Sunday north of Flagstaff. At least two dozen buildings have been destroyed, officials said, and residents of hundreds of homes near Flagstaff have been ordered to evacuate earlier this week.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and US Highway 89 remains closed from 425 to 445 points.
Parts of the Coconino National Forest have also been closed, according to the US Forest Service. The Forest Service has advised drivers not to take Forest Road 244A to avoid closing US 89. “Maps redirect people around the fire using Forest Service roads, but these roads are SAFE and blocked,” the agency tweeted.
A state of emergency is in force
The state of emergency in Coconino County, declared by Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey on Thursday, remains in effect.
Approximately 2,068 people live in the evacuation zone, Patrice Horstman, chairman of the Coconino County Supervisory Board, said on Wednesday. “766 households have been evacuated from this,” along with more than 1,000 animals, Horstman said. The declaration of state of emergency means that employees can provide the necessary resources to the affected communities to “respond and recover from the destruction of the fire,” Ducey said in a news release.
“As strong winds ignite Arizona fires, we are doing everything we can to keep Arizona residents safe,” the governor said. He continued to urge residents to “follow the instructions of firefighters, stay safe and respond to any evacuation notices.”
“We will continue to monitor the situation and deploy additional resources if necessary,” Ducy said.
Forest fires are raging in other states
Elsewhere, crews are battling numerous wildfires in New Mexico and Nebraska.
Half of New Mexico is facing problems with 20 active forest fires in the state, Gov. Michel Lujan Grisham told a news conference on Saturday, noting that 16 of the state’s 33 counties are battling the blaze.
“Our high-risk season is incredibly and dangerously early,” Grisham said, adding that although it was only April, the state was already witnessing fire activity similar to May and June.
The governor declared a state of emergency for Mora County on Saturday, she tweeted. She has already made similar statements to the counties of Colfax, Lincoln, San Miguel and Valencia on Friday, according to a press release from her office.
“We need people to leave areas that have fire warnings … the risks are too great,” Grisham said. “There’s no reason to lose anyone because they decided to stay.”
Meanwhile, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts has activated more than two dozen National Guard officers to help fight wildfires caused by strong winds and dry conditions, the guard said Saturday. The crews will help on the ground and by air in the southwestern part of the state, where forest fires caused an evacuation on Saturday. The entire city of Cambridge, home to about 1,000 people, was ordered to evacuate.
CNN’s Paradise Afshar, Michelle Watson, Andy Rose and Steve Almasi contributed to this report.
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