The Tunnel Fire in Arizona’s Coconino County ballooned to more 6,000 acres as of Tuesday after it was first reported Sunday afternoon, officials said during a news conference. It was 0% contained by Tuesday evening.
“The fire is rapidly moving in a northeasterly direction with the significant winds that we’ve experienced today,” said Fire Management Officer True Brown.
“I cannot stress enough how rapidly this fire is moving,” he said, adding that “unprecedented” winds have been fueling the fire.
An estimated 2,068 people live in the evacuation area, according to Patrice Horstman, chair of the Coconino County Board of Supervisors. “From this 766 households have been evacuated,” along with more than 1,000 animals, Horstman said.
Deputies and other law enforcement officers were on the ground evacuating people from their homes, Coconino County Sheriff Jim Driscoll said during the news conference.
“The fire was moving so fast; many of those officers were in harm’s way themselves. And I’m very proud of the fact that we were able to get this evacuation done despite the rapid progression of the fire,” Driscoll said.
“The Tunnel Fire has been fueled by high winds and dry conditions, and the county has deployed all available resources,” Horstman said during the news conference.
About 200 crew members are fighting the fast-moving flames, and the county requested state and federal resources to help fight the fire, officials said Tuesday.
Local power and gas distribution networks, various historical and cultural sites, as well as 150 businesses are threatened by the fire, FEMA said.
Horstman acknowledged the difficulty of the situation and reassured residents the county would stay behind them.
“This is a time, as we’ve done in the past, for neighbors to help neighbors,” Horstman said. “The county will be here to support everyone during this very difficult time, but together as we’ve done before, we need to be here altogether as one to get through this.”
