Wildfire in Arizona forces thousands from their homes
PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. — A wildfire burning Wednesday through a dense Arizona forest has forced thousands of people fromtheirShomes, closed a major road and created a huge plume of smoke over the same area devastated by a blaze that killed 19 firefighters four years ago.
The fire is burning in communities around Prescott, a mountain city about 100 miles north of Phoenix that draws a mix of desert dwellers escaping the heat, retirees and visitors to its famed OldWestthemed Whiskey Row.
The fire has charred 32 square miles while being fanned by strong winds.
The fire forced the evacuation of communities includingMayer and DeweyHumboldt and the closure of one of the main roads into Prescott. DeweyHumboldt has about 4,000 residents; Mayer has about 1,400.
Many residents have painful memories of the 2013 wildfire that killed 19 members of an crew.
“It's scary because we're coming up on the four-year anniversary of the Yarnell Hill fire — there's still a lot of fresh memories,” said Arizona state Sen. Karen Fann, who lives in Prescott and represents the area where the fire is burning.
Elsewhere across the western U.S., Utah firefighters braced for more high winds as they tried to slow a stubborn wildfire that has burned 13 homes and forced the evacuation of 1,500 people from a ski resort town.
In California, a wildfire destroyed the home of “Big Bang Theory” star Johnny Galecki on a ranch in the San Luis Obispo area.
Firefighters inWashington state were battling three fires nearWenatchee that had grown to about 37 square miles.
And in Idaho, fire officials say quick responses by ranchers and others to more than 20 wildfires sparked by lightning have kept the small fires from becoming major blazes like those that scorched the region in recent decades. elite firefighting
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey declared a state of emergency in Yavapai County that directs $200,000 in emergency funds to fire suppression efforts and reimbursements for emergency response and recovery costs.
It's also is a key requirement should federal aid resources be requested.
The blaze is burning in thick chaparral that has not seen a fire in more than 40 years. The steep, rugged terrainmakes it difficult for firefighters to reach.
Mayer resident Jill Baker fled town after learning of evacuations on Tuesday while filling up her tank at a gas station. She grabbed her three dogs and rushed to a nearby high school in Prescott Valley, sleeping on a cot and eating Subway sandwiches.
As she left town, she said, residentswere pulling off on the side of the road and discussing what to do about their belongings, pets and horses.
“It looked like five fires,” Baker said.“Wewere probably seven miles from the actual fire, and itwas pretty scary.”