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9 June 2011 Last updated at 11:30 ET
Thick smoke is engulfing the region as the fires blaze out of control A huge wildfire in the US state of Arizona that has forced thousands
from their homes, continues to grow as the blaze rages for an 12th day.
The fire is heading for transmission lines that supply electricity to
hundreds of thousands of people as far east as Texas, and could reach
the power supply as early as Friday. The so-called Wallow fire is now the second-largest in the state's history. Two more towns in the fire's path were evacuated late on Wednesday. Winds fuelling the fames drove the last hold-outs from Greer, a small
town near the New Mexico border, and pushed out 7,000 residents from the
nearby towns of Eagar and Springerville. "We have a fire fight on our hands. It's going to be tough, and we're
going to be here a while," fire information officer Jim Whittington told
the Associate Press news agency. At this point, officials say, the wildfire, named after the Bear Wallow
Wilderness area, is considered to be 0% contained. Firefighters used bulldozers to clear away brush and trees in an effort
to create a barrier for area homes as the fire approaches.
The Wallow fire burns north of Eager, Arizona on Wednesday night
Authorities believe the fire was started by inattentive campers Over the border in New Mexico residents of the town of Luna are on
similar alert. Winds have been moving the flames five to eight miles per day since it
started more than a week ago, possibly caused by an unattended campfire. Smoke rising from the flames had reached right across the country on
Tuesday, visible six states to the east, and cancelled flights hundreds
of miles away. No serious injuries were reported, but the fire cut into the
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, said fire incident command
spokeswoman Dellora Guager, and the surrounding towns' futures remained
in doubt. No progress The fire has now consumed 388,480 acres (607 sq miles; 1,572 sq km)
according to a clickable map on the Arizona Republic website.
Map The roughly 2,500 firefighters battling the blaze - drafted in from as
far away as New York - are being hampered by winds of about 30mph
(50km/h), with gusts above 60mph (100km/h). As of Wednesday no progress had been made containing the fire but it was
hoped some gains would have been made by Thursday or Friday, said Matt
Benson, a spokesman for Arizona Governor Jan Brewer. "It's entirely dependent on weather conditions in that part of the state
right now," he said. A state of emergency has been declared in the counties of Apache and
Greenlee. This is the second largest fire on record in Arizona - a blaze in 2002
burnt through 732 sq miles in the centre of the state. As well as Arizona, smoke is said to be visible in New Mexico, Iowa,
Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado - where some municipal health departments
have issued air-quality warnings.
Woman preparing to evacuate with dogs Thousands of residents are
preparing to evacuate Meanwhile, another wildfire is burning in south-eastern Arizona and
threatening two small communities. A thousand firefighters are tackling that blaze, which is listed as 55%
contained, reported Reuters news agency.
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