Evacuation orders for a handful of residents in western Arizona impacted by a wildfire have been lifted as fire danger escalates in parts of the West that have been left high and dry by an evaporating monsoon season.
The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office informed people who had to leave six homes in the Red Wing Canyon area late Thursday that they could return.
Fire officials say the blaze, burning 13 miles (21 kilometers) north of Kingman, is 45% contained, and crews have been able to get a line around the entire fire. It has burned around 1 square mile (2 square kilometers).
Now, the 200 firefighters are focusing on extinguishing any hotspots and developing a second fire line to protect homes to the north.
Weather conditions are forecasted to be dry and windy Friday.
The fire was reported on Tuesday. The cause is under investigation, but authorities believed it was human-caused.
There have been no injuries or damage to structures.
Meanwhile, over in eastern Arizona, a wildfire on the Fort Apache Reservation remained uncontained Friday.
The so-called Flying V fire has burned 1.9 square miles (4.9 square kilometers). It has also shut down a stretch of the U.S. 60 freeway north of Globe.
There are no threats to any structures. The blaze is in rugged terrain comprised of grass and other brush.
Besides controlling the fire, officials say crews will focus on protecting the freeway and resources that are valuable to the White Mountain Apache tribe.
In New Mexico, firefighters are dealing with hot, dry, and breezy conditions as they monitor a fire that has burned more than 93 square miles (241 square kilometers) in the Gila National Forest. The blaze has forced the closure of several trails, but officials said the flames are helping to clear out dead and down trees.
Forest officials in southwestern New Mexico warned Friday that continuous warm and dry weather and the chance of thunderstorms will increase the potential for new wildfire starts.
In northern New Mexico, officials have implemented fire restrictions on the Carson National Forest due to already high fire danger and anticipated worsening conditions.
Forecasters with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque have warned about a late start to the monsoon along with above-average temperatures in central and northern New Mexico, indicating continuing high fire danger through July.
Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
