Arizona wildfire grows to 11 1/2 square miles

5/22/2014
ASSOCIATED PRESS
  • Arizona-Wildfires-11

    Dick Summitt, of Kachina Village in northern Arizona, leaves a community meeting on Wednesday, May 21, 2014 where authorities told residents to prepare to evacuate because of a wildfire. Hundreds of firefighters poured into the area to battle the wind-whipped blaze. (AP Photo/Felicia Fonseca)

    ASSOCIATED PRESS

    • KACHINA VILLAGE, Ariz. — A wind-whipped wildfire in a scenic northern Arizona canyon has grown to more than 11 1/2 square miles, but authorities say firefighters are starting to get the upper hand.

    Hundreds of firefighters worked today to protect communities on the edge of Flagstaff from the human-caused Slide Fire.

    It started Tuesday around Oak Creek Canyon, a scenic recreation area along a highway between Sedona and Flagstaff that normally would be teeming with tourists as the Memorial Day weekend approaches.

    There are no reports so far of injuries or structures burned.

    Fire incident commander Tony Sciacca says some containment is expected by Friday morning.

    However, some 3,200 residents of Forest Highlands and Katina Village remain under pre-evacuation warnings.