State of emergency declared as Arizona wildfire continues to grow
The Tunnel Fire is still 0% contained
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Arizona Governor Doug Ducey declared a state of emergency on Thursday due to the massive wind-fueled wildfire burning in Coconino County.
The Tunnel Fire, burning roughly 14 miles north of Flagstaff, has grown to over 20,000 acres as firefighters brace for increasingly windy conditions expected Friday.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Arizona Tunnel fire has now grown to over 20,000 acres. (Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management)
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The emergency declaration will help officials to provide resources to the people and communities impacted by the fire, Ducey said in a statement.
Nearly 800 households in the area have been evacuated, and the fire remains 0% contained, according to Coconino County officials.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Scorched grass and trees dot the landscape Thursday, April 21, 2022, after a wildfire swept through the outskirts of Flagstaff, Ariz. (Rachel Gibbons/Arizona Daily Sun via AP) (Rachel Gibbons/Arizona Daily Sun via AP)
"Even though we haven’t declared a percentage of containment on this fire yet, there has been a lot of work, progress, and investment on line construction around many parts of the Tunnel Fire," said Deputy Incident Commander Shelby Erickson.
Two firefighters monitor hot spots from a wildfire burning on the outskirts of Flagstaff, Ariz., Thursday, April 21, 2022. (Rachel Gibbons/Arizona Daily Sun via AP) (Rachel Gibbons/Arizona Daily Sun via AP)
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More than 370 firefighters have been called in to battle the blaze. Other firefighting resources on scene include five bulldozers, 30 fire engines, one air attack plane and three helicopters.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Smoke from a wind-whipped wildfire rises above neighborhoods on the outskirts of Flagstaff, Ariz., on Tuesday, April 19, 2022. Homes on the outskirts of Flagstaff were being evacuated Tuesday as high winds whipped a wildfire, shut down a major highway and grounded firefighting aircraft. (Sean Golightly/Arizona Daily Sun via AP) (Sean Golightly/Arizona Daily Sun via AP)