Blaze in Arizona Burns 800 Acres

A fast-moving wildfire charred more than 800 acres Wednesday on the fringe of this mile-high city, destroying six homes and forcing residents to flee, authorities said.

The fire, which grew rapidly as it was whipped by strong winds, burned toward Prescott from the city’s southern edge into late afternoon.

“This is a bad situation up there,” said Francie Noyes, a spokeswoman for Gov. Jane Dee Hull, who declared a state of emergency.

Hull said, “The wind is going in absolutely the wrong direction.”

But the fire began to slow down as night fell, giving firefighters a chance to move in closer to attack the blaze, said Steve Sams, a spokesman for the Prescott National Forest.

Officials didn’t know how many people were forced to leave, but Prescott Police Department spokesman Steve Skurja said, “We’re talking a couple thousand people.”

The fire began Wednesday in the Prescott National Forest south of Prescott, a city of 33,000 about 90 miles north of Phoenix. Many homes are built in the surrounding forest.

“This thing happened really fast,” said Skurja. “It was clear as a bell, and all of a sudden we were covered in smoke.”

He said slurry planes buzzed over the city for hours.

Doreen Parker and her fiance, who live in a townhouse about a mile from the fire, said they were prepared to leave if the fire moved closer.

“We feel like sitting ducks here,” Parker said. “We have our bags packed. There’s no possible way we can collect all our valuables, but we’ve got clothes and all the necessary documents. I’m watching firetrucks go right by my window.”

About 300 people were gathered at Prescott Mile High Middle School, and more were expected, said Kevin Kapp, superintendent of the Prescott Unified School District.

Kapp said he had an hour to get home, meet his wife and get pictures and other important items out of the house.

“Every day when I come out of my house, as dry as it’s been, I say, ‘I hope this is not the day.’ Unfortunately, today is the day,” Kapp said.

Sams said the cause of the wildfire was not immediately known.

Five air tankers and a helicopter battled the blaze at one point and more crews were coming in today, according to Sams.

The fire was one of three burning Wednesday in Arizona, which is experiencing a severe drought. Northern Arizona had its driest fall and winter in more than 100 years, according to the National Weather Service.

An 840-acre wildfire in the Coconino National Forest was 60% contained by Wednesday evening, said fire spokeswoman Connie Birkland.

She said about 150 firefighters were working on that blaze with no immediate estimate for full containment or control.

No homes were threatened by the blaze, which was in the Clints Well area about 20 miles north of Payson, according to Birkland.

The Hart fire reported Wednesday morning west of the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff was fully contained at 60 acres by nightfall, Birkland said.