More than 2,000 people in Arizona were evacuated as a wildfire, with no containment, tripled in size. One resident faced a “wall of fire” as the blaze encroached on her backyard forcing her and her husband to flee.
Published Apr. 20, 2022 2:04 PM EDT | Updated Apr. 21, 2022 2:54 PM EDT
As favorable conditions for wildfires flourished across much of the Southwest, one Arizona wildfire completely tripled in size in less than 48 hours, ripping through at least two dozen structures and sending residents scrambling.
The Tunnel Fire, which is burning across an area about 14 miles northeast of Flagstaff, exploded in size since it was first reported late Sunday afternoon. On Tuesday afternoon, the fire was measured at more than 6,000 acres, but with no containment, the blaze grew to 20,511 acres by Thursday morning — more than tripling in size, according to an update from rangers working within the Coconino National Forest.
Officials declared an emergency Tuesday afternoon for the rapidly growing wildfire and told media that about two dozen structures had been burned and roughly 250 more buildings remained threatened by the fire.
According to Trey Williams, a spokesperson for Coconino County, 766 homes have been evacuated -- meaning more than 2,000 people have fled the blaze -- as of Wednesday morning. More than 250 first responders have been assigned to try to contain the fire.
In this photo provided by the Coconino National Forest, the Tunnel Fire burns near Flagstaff, Ariz., on Tuesday, April 19, 2022. An Arizona wildfire doubled in size overnight into Wednesday, a day after heavy winds kicked up a towering wall of flames outside a northern Arizona tourist and college town, ripping through two dozen structures and sending residents of more than 700 homes scrambling to flee. (Coconino National Forest via AP)
A 20-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 89, which connects Flagstaff and far northern Arizona and communities on the Navajo Nations, has been closed since Tuesday, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation (DOT). On Thursday morning, Arizona DOT said there was no estimated time of reopening.
As the fire moves northeastward, away from the highly-populated Flagstaff area, officials were hopeful that structural damage would be limited.
"It's good in that it's not headed towards a very populated area, and it's headed towards less fuel," Coconino National Forest spokesperson Brady Smith told The Associated Press. "But depending on the intensity of the fire, [the] fire can still move across cinders."
People took to social media to post photos and videos of the towering smoke and uncontrollable flames. Carolyn Potter shared pictures of the fire illuminating the night sky. Kristen Byrd shared a video on Twitter that Potter had taken earlier on Tuesday of the smoke blowing in the strong winds writing "prayers for those working to put this out."
The fire and smoke emanating from it could be seen in a satellite loop on Tuesday.
Kathy Vollmer, a resident of Coconino County, told the AP that this scene was different from a wildfire last year that burned in the same area because she and her husband faced a "wall of fire" as it encroached on their backyard. Vollmer and her husband grabbed their three dogs but left a couple of cats behind as they evacuated.
"We just hope they are going to be OK," Vollmer said.
Ali Taranto, who owns a property in Flagstaff, told the AP she went to check on her Flagstaff property Tuesday, but by the time she left, the highway in the area was closed, which resulted in her driving an extra two hours back to her home in Winslow.
"To see flames several yards away from your property line and to hear the propane tanks bursting in the background, it was very surreal," Taranto said. "Ash falling down. It was crazy."
The Arizona Department of Transportation gave another perspective, straight from the road closures forced by the fire. The video captured on one of the closed mileposts on US-89 shows the hazy conditions caused by the severe event.
Due to wind thresholds for aircraft during firefighting operations, air resources were halted, according to a press release from the Coconino National Forest Service.
The cause of the Tunnel Fire is still unknown.
Authorities said they wouldn't be able to determine whether anyone was injured in the Tunnel Fire until the flames subside.
Nearly 64 miles southwest of Flagstaff in Prescott, firefighters battled the Crooks Fire, which broke out on Monday morning. The fire had grown to 2,000 acres after the strong winds pushed it in all directions on Wednesday. The estimated containment date is Wednesday, May 4, according to InciWeb.
Cory Carlson, the incident commander with the Prescott National Forest, told the AP on Tuesday that the biggest challenge in battling the fire has been the high winds in the region, which are carrying the embers into the air. Another challenge has been multiple fires across the state resulting in fewer resources.
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Paul Walker said the dry and windy conditions will continue through the rest of the week, but cooler weather is expected on Friday.
"Friday looks to be windy and cooler with the possibility for a couple of showers," Walker said.
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