Ron Brackett
With extreme drought and a searing heat wave gripping much of the western United States, multiple wildfires are adding to the misery. One fire in Arizona has burned 22 structures.
More than 20 large fires are burning in seven western states, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. The fires have burned nearly 444 square miles.
With temperatures rising well above 100 degrees in many locations this week, the National Weather Service has issued heat alerts from parts of the Southwest into the Great Basin and California.
About 89% of the West is facing drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. More than half of the western U.S., 55%, is in the two highest categories of drought: extreme and exceptional.
(MORE: Heat Dome to Set Records in the West Much of This Week)
The dryness, coupled with breezy afternoons, has led to near-critical to critical fire weather conditions for parts of Utah, Nevada and southeastern California through Tuesday afternoon, according to the NWS.
Several of the fires have forced evacuations. Here is a look at some of the larger fires.
Arizona
Residents of three Arizona communities remain under evacuation orders after the Telegraph Fire jumped containment lines. The Gila County Sheriff's Office warned residents of El Capitan, Dripping Springs and Beverly Hills to evacuate on Monday.
The Telegraph Fire, burning since June 4, has consumed more than 192 square miles, according to a post on the fire's Facebook information page. Containment fell back to 68% on Monday and more growth is expected.
An update Tuesday morning said the fire has burned 22 structures. It has also moved up to the seventh spot in the list of the largest wildfires in Arizona history, according to KTAR.
SR 77 was closed in both directions between U.S. Highway 70 and SR 177 in Winkelman because of the fire.
KNXV reported that 10 firefighters had sustained minor injuries, such as bee stings and a sprained ankle. One was treated for a heat-related illness.
Residents of Top-of-the-World and Oak Flats were allowed to return home Saturday after being ordered to evacuate on June 6.
A different fire forced evacuations Sunday afternoon near Cornville, about 87 miles north of Phoenix.
The Cornville Fire, which began about 12:30 p.m. MDT Sunday, has consumed nearly 2 square miles, according to Inciweb.
About 100 residents of the Mingus Panorama subdivision were ordered to leave their homes, according to KNXV-TV.
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The Cornville Fire is one of seven large fires currently burning in Arizona, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Altogether this year, 848 fires have burned more than 325 square miles in Arizona, according to the state Department of Forestry and Fire Management. Last year by this time, 907 fires had burned 216 square miles.
"We cannot stress enough to the public the critical situation we are faced with. Firefighters are already challenged and any ignition starting within this drought-stricken fuel bed combined with our incoming critical fire weather could produce large, fast-moving and very active wildfires. Take personal responsibility, follow fire restrictions, and do your part with prevention efforts," DFFM Fire Management Officer John Truett said in a news release.
California
A firefighter was injured Sunday in a fire burning in the Santa Rosa Mountains off Highway 74, about 105 miles east-southeast of Los Angeles. Details on his condition were not available.
Two homes were destroyed and three were damaged in the Flats Fire burning near the communities of Pinyon Crest, Pinyon and Alpine Village, according to Inciweb.
Officials ordered residents of the Pinyon Crest neighborhood to evacuate and told Pinyon and other Pinyon Crest residents to be ready to evacuate.
Highway 74 is closed between State Road 371 near Garner Valley and Palowet Drive in Palm Desert.
(MORE: Drought Drives Lake Mead to Its Lowest Water Level Since It Was Filled in the 1930s)
The fire, which began about 11:15 a.m. PDT Sunday, has burned about 400 acres and is 10% contained.
Cal Fire, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, reported two other fires started Sunday in the state.
The Beale Fire has burned 150 acres east of Yuba City, north of Sacramento, and is 20% contained.
The Goose Fire has burned 60 acres near Jackson Valley, southeast of Sacramento. It was 30% contained.
Wildfires have consumed nearly 27 square miles in California this year.
Utah
The Sheriff's Office of San Juan County, south of Moab in Utah's southeast corner, ordered all private property in and around the area east of Geyser Pass on the LaSal Mountains to evacuate Sunday because of the Pack Creek Fire.
"We have been notified that the Pack Creek Fire has breached the Geyser Pass road and therefore, for the safety of all citizens, we ask that you evacuate at this time while it is safe to do so," the sheriff said in a Facebook post.
The Pack Fire, which started last Wednesday because of an abandoned campfire, has burned almost 13 square miles, according to Utah Fire Info. It was 6% contained.
The Pack Creek Fire is one of five wildfires burning in Utah.
Evacuation orders were lifted Monday morning for Mammoth Creek Village and Tommy Creek in Garfield County after the Mammoth Fire was 93% contained, Utah Fire Info reported. The fire, which began June 5, burned slightly more than a square mile.
The Bear Fire has burned nearly 16.5 square miles northwest of Helper, about 90 miles southeast of Salt Lake City. It is 10% contained.
Evacuation orders remain in place for the Aspen Cove subdivision because of the Bennion Creek Fire burning northwest of the Scofield Reservoir. The fire has burned more than 12 square miles and is 10% contained.
Evacuation orders were lifted for the East Canyon Fire, which has burned 1.3 square miles and is now 45% contained. The Broad Canyon Fire is 100% contained after burning 97 acres.
New Mexico
At least eight large fires are burning in New Mexico, the largest of which is the Johnson Fire.
It has burned more than 102 square miles in the Gila Wilderness in the Gila National Forest, according to Inciweb. It is 11% contained.
The Gila National Forest and a large part of the Gila Wilderness have been closed to the public. The Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is also closed.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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