02 July, 2017
The wildfire burning through a dense Arizona forest has forced thousands of pe.
Yavapai County spokesman David McAtee said the communities of Pine Flat and Breezy Pines already had been evacuated with potential evacuations ordered for Walker, Potato Patch Campground, Mountain Pines Acres and Mount Union if the fire continues to grow. The east sides of those communities are still under pre-evacuation notice.
Firefighters are anxious about Poland Junction just northwest of Mayer.
Firefighters on the Prescott National Forest are battling a 940-acre wildfire that prompted the evacuation of the Pine Flat community over the weekend. There is no real way of knowing if any structures have burned in that area, but maps show homes do exist there.
"When that fire jumped that road and started heading to Dewey-Humboldt, we thought it was gone", Sheriff Scott Mascher said.
Mayer resident Jill Baker fled town after learning of evacuations on Tuesday while filling up her tank at a gas station.
It also ruined vacations for children and campers in a cooler part of Arizona that many head to in the summer to escape the stifling desert heat of Phoenix.
Officials say higher humidity Wednesday night in the fire zone about 75 miles (120 kilometers) north of Phoenix helped firefighters' efforts despite a temporary halt to aircraft operations because of an unauthorized drone in the area.
That 6-square-mile (16-square-kilometer) wildfire temporarily closed Interstate 84 on Tuesday afternoon but traffic resumed in the evening.
Crews are working to establish fire lines by using roads and natural features to slow the progression of the fire.
"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.
He added that his office was receiving real-time updates from the forestry and fire management administrators. "The next 24 hours will be critical, and the state will provide whatever support and resources are necessary to assist firefighters and residents in the region".
Residents of a northern Arizona town that has been evacuated say they struggled to leave behind their homes.
