Fires

Arizona wildfire in scenic canyon continues to grow but first containment reported

Associated Press
Published | Updated

Tourists watch the Slide Fire from a scenic overlook as it burns up Oak Creek Canyon nearby on Thursday, May 22, 2014, in Sedona, Ariz. The fire has burned approximately 4,800 acres. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) (The Associated Press)

Smoke rises from the Slide Fire as it burns up Oak Creek Canyon on Thursday, May 22, 2014, in Sedona, Ariz. The fire has burned approximately 4,800 acres. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) (The Associated Press)

U.S. Forest Service firefighting crews work hotspots Thursday May 22, 2014 near Sedona, Ariz .The human-caused Slide Fire started Tuesday. (AP Photo/ Vyto Starinskas) (The Associated Press)

Firefighters are making progress in keeping a wildfire burning in a scenic Arizona canyon south of Flagstaff in check, even as the flames spread.

Fire managers say the Slide Fire has burned more than 11 1/2 square miles in and around Oak Creek Canyon. That estimate released Thursday night is up from 7 1/2 square miles earlier in the day.

Fire managers say the human-caused fire is now 5 percent contained.

The fire still was 3 to 3 1/2 miles away from the residential areas of Forest Highlands and Katina Village, where 3,200 residents remain under pre-evacuation warnings.