Firefighters in aircraft and on the ground battled the second serious wildfire (Schultz fire) to threaten the Flagstaff area in two days Sunday, prompting officials to urge hundreds of residents to flee as flames crept within 500 yards of some homes.
Officials said the fast-spreading fire erupted in this forested city's northern outskirts Sunday morning and burned across 7 square miles of forest land by evening, sending a huge plume of smoke over parts of the region.
Strong winds fueled the flames. "The higher winds definitely played a key role in the extreme behavior of the fire today and it will continue tomorrow," said city spokeswoman Stephanie Smith.
