Southwest wildfires force evacuations, tighten resources

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- An Arizona wildfire more than tripled in size as relentless winds pushed the flames through neighborhoods on the outskirts of a college and tourist town, forcing out hundreds of residents and destroying more than two dozen homes and other structures.

The blaze continued its run Wednesday through dry grass and scattered Ponderosa pines around homes into volcanic cinder fields, where roots underground can combust and send small rocks flying into the air, fire officials said. Persistent spring winds and 50-mph gusts hindered firefighters.

The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for Thursday, which means the wind will be conducive to rapid fire growth, said Brian Klimowski of the National Weather Service. A strong front is moving into the area Friday.

"This is a good news/bad news scenario," he said. "The good news is temperatures will be cooler, relative humidities will rise. Bad news, the winds will be even stronger on Friday."

Operations sections Chief Steven Van Kirk said aircraft capable of dropping water and fire retardant on the blaze were not able to fly Wednesday because of strong winds.

Bill Wells's home Wednesday on the outskirts of Flagstaff, Arizona, destroyed by a wildfire Tuesday. The wind-whipped wildfire has forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes and animals.Bill Wells via AP

"So you can imagine what the next two days are going to bring," he said.

Fire managers are contending with tight resources as wildfires burn around the Southwest. The U.S. has 16 top-level national fire management teams, and four of those are dedicated to blazes in Arizona and New Mexico -- something fire information officer Dick Fleishman said is rare this early in the wildfire season.

Hundreds of people have been evacuated because of the wildfires north of Flagstaff and south of Prescott in Arizona.

"This is a heads-up for everywhere else in the state," said Fleishman. "If you have dry grass up next to your house, it's time to get that cleaned up."

In New Mexico, the Mora County Sheriff's Office issued mandatory evacuations for more residents as winds fueled a blaze that has burned more than 14 square miles since Sunday. Meanwhile, another fire was sparked Wednesday afternoon in a wooded area along the Rio Grande south of Albuquerque.

Red flag warnings were on tap across New Mexico on Wednesday and through the rest of the week, and in portions of northern Arizona for Thursday. Winds were expected to strengthen Thursday and Friday, said Mark Stubblefield of the National Weather Service.

In Colorado, new wildfires prompted evacuations in Monte Vista, a city of about 4,150 people in the southern part of the state, as well as near Longmont. Monte Vista Police Chief George Dingfelder confirmed structures have been lost. He said investigators have "no idea" how many, and there have been no reports of injuries or people missing. The fire's progress was stopped and crews were putting out hot spots. Earlier, flames and billowing smoke could be seen on a street surrounded by buildings as fire crews responded, according to video from a reporter for the Alamosa Citizen.

"Almost immediately there were some structures that caught on fire. We struggled at times to stay in front of this fire and stay out of the way of it because the winds and stuff were so strong," Dingfelder said.

He said investigators do not yet know what caused the fire, which burned about 17 acres.

The number of acres burned in the U.S. so far this year is about 30% above the 10-year average -- a figure that has gone up from 20% just earlier this month as the fire danger shifted from the southern U.S. to the Southwest, where above-average temperatures and below-average precipitation have combined with spring winds to elevate the chances for more catastrophic fires.

On the outskirts of Flagstaff where tourists and locals revel in hiking and horseback riding trails, camping spots, and the vast expanse of cinder fields for off-road vehicle use, flames soared as high as 100 feet. Popular national monuments including Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki were closed because of the wildfire.

"It's just a unique community and we're fortunate to live here," said Jon Stoner, who evacuated his home Tuesday. "We feel very lucky with the views we have and the surrounding forest."

Some residents' homes were burned to the ground, though Coconino County hasn't said exactly how many. Officials said Tuesday evening that 766 homes and 1,000 animals had been evacuated, and about 250 structures remained threatened.

About 200 residents filed into an auditorium for a community meeting Wednesday night at a middle school that's also being used as a shelter. Some lost their homes and were worried about finding temporary housing in a city where rental prices have exploded in recent years. One woman said she was evacuated from the forest where she was camping and wondered when she might be able to retrieve her things.

One man who reportedly was trapped in his home by the flames was able to get out, Coconino County sheriff's spokesman Jon Paxton said Wednesday. No injuries or deaths have been reported.

Coconino County Sheriff Jim Driscoll said he could not commit to a time when residents will be allowed back in their homes.

"There's still active firefighting going on in those areas, and we need to have it safe for you to go in," he said.

U.S. 89, the main route between Flagstaff and far northern Arizona, and communities on the Navajo Nation, remained closed.

The fire started Sunday afternoon northeast of Flagstaff and its cause is under investigation. The county declared an emergency after the wildfire ballooned from 100 acres Tuesday morning to over 9 square miles by evening. It was estimated at more than 30 square miles Wednesday afternoon.

Fire crews have yet to corral any part of it.

The surrounding mountains were shrouded in smoke as ash rained down from the sky. Residents reported hearing propane tanks bursting amid the flames.

Early Tuesday, Lisa Wells saw a puff of smoke outside her window. Before long, the smoke blackened, the wind gained strength and entire trees were being consumed by flames. In what felt like seconds, her family moved from being ready to go to fleeing. Wells grabbed medication, and the family got themselves, their alpacas, horses and dogs to safety, but left some animals behind.

"It was a miracle that people got out because we had so little time," Wells said, adding that their home and barn were overtaken by flames moments after they left. The family's real-life birds and goats didn't survive the fire. Wells and her family are now staying in a hotel where their dogs also are welcome.

During a community meeting Wednesday, Matt McGrath, a district ranger for the Coconino National Forest, said banning campfires is not a silver bullet and restricts those who are careful about it. But he said the agency is talking with other agencies and factoring in the weather conditions, noting that they may issue widespread bans "before Memorial Day."

Elsewhere in Arizona, a wildfire burned 2.5 square miles of brush and timber in the forest about 10 miles south of Prescott. Several small communities that included summer homes and hunting cabins were evacuated.

Associated Press writer Paul Davenport in Phoenix and Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed to this report.