Firefighters fail to contain Arizona wildfires
Hundreds of firefighters in the US state of Arizona are working feverishly to bring several forest fires under control - so far, unsuccessfully. The authorities are expanding the evacuation area.
In the US state of Arizona, a forest fire is spreading rapidly. Nearly 200 firefighters, supported by water-dropping aircraft and helicopters, are battling the flames north-east of Phoenix, according to authorities. Brown winds are fanning the fire under extreme heat and aridity. Reports of injuries and damages were initially not available.
In the vicinity of Phoenix, where temperatures reached 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 degrees Celsius) on Friday, about 60 residents were evacuated in the night. The fire, caused by humans, broke out in the afternoon (local time) on Thursday, has already destroyed approximately 13 square kilometers, and could not be contained, as the authorities stated.
The authorities expanded the evacuation area in a residential neighborhood on the north-eastern outskirts of Scottsdale, closed roads and a part of a nature reserve. The Red Cross set up an evacuation center in a school in Scottsdale. The weather service predicts that the high temperatures will last into the coming week.
Meanwhile, approximately 200 firefighters made progress in containing a large fire in California, which has burned an estimated 23 square kilometers of land about 100 kilometers east of Fresno.
The international community is expressing concern over the forest fires in the USA, specifically in Arizona. Despite the efforts of over 200 firefighters, backed by aircraft and helicopters, the forest fire continues to spread, affecting areas near Phoenix.
