More than 500 firefighters were battling a wildfire in eastern Arizona that had swelled to 5,000 acres in three days and was still at 0 percent containment on Sunday. Three neighborhoods near the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest were under mandatory evacuation orders, according to a release by the Forest Service. No structures had sustained damage from the fire.
Five helicopters, eight hotshot crews, 24 engines, five bulldozers and four water tenders were working to reinforce containment lines, but were competing with dry brush, low humidity and high temperatures, authorities said. The area would see a high temperature of 97 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday, according to Weather.com. Firefighters were thinning pines to prevent the fire from spreading farther and "Incident Commander Matt Reidy is pleased with the progress firefighters are making," the statement said. The fire is thought to have been caused by a person and is under investigation, officials said.
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Evacuation Orders Remain in Place for San Juan Fire
Fast-Moving Arizona Wildfire Scorches 5,000 Acres
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