Fast-Moving Arizona Wildfire Near College Town Doubles In Size In 24-Hours

A fast-moving wildfire exploded in size overnight into Wednesday, burning north of Flagstaff, Arizona, along Highway 89, which has forced local officials to declare a State of Emergency. 

Named the Tunnel Fire, the blaze is 14 miles northeast of Flagstaff in Coconino County. AP reports the “wildfire doubled in size” since Tuesday to more than 16,600 acres this morning. 

#GOESWest has been monitoring several fires in the southwestern U.S.

Seen here Tues, the #TunnelFire has burned more than 16,600 acres near Flagstaff, and the #CrooksFire, near Prescott, was estimated at 1,600 acres. They are both being driven by significant winds in the area. pic.twitter.com/VqG3b1OJbM

— NOAA Satellites (@NOAASatellites) April 20, 2022

Fox Weather said the wildfire spread 10,000 acres in 24 hours. 

UPDATE: The #TunnelFire in Flagstaff, Arizona has burned more than 16,000 acres. @JaneMinarWX has the latest. pic.twitter.com/w2L5YvYner

— FOX Weather (@foxweather) April 20, 2022

The fire was first reported Sunday afternoon and was at 0% containment this morning. At least 750 homes have been evacuated. 

Coconino National Forest spokesman Brady Smith told AP the wildfire is moving northeast away from Flagstaff and Northern Arizona University. 

“It’s good in that it’s not headed toward a very populated area, and it’s headed toward less fuel,” Smith said. “But depending on the intensity of the fire, fire can still move across cinders.”

Footage posted on Twitter shows massive columns of smoke and flames quickly moving across the drought-stricken region. 

#BREAKING: The #TunnelFire has exploded to 16000 acres and is still at 0% containment amidst strong winds in the area. Evacuation orders in place for the wildfire which is burning just north of Flagstaff, Arizona.pic.twitter.com/HoFHhjC712 https://t.co/ZN3is0Bo0i

— Moshe Schwartz (@YWNReporter) April 20, 2022

The #TunnelFire near Flagstaff has exploded to more than 25 square miles.

📷 Coconino National Forest pic.twitter.com/kROAOfE2My

— Michael Edgecomb (@TheEdgePHX) April 20, 2022

Tunnel Fire burning NE of Flagstaff. It’s a very windy day. Prayers for those working to put this out. #TunnelFire pic.twitter.com/wyVLAFx4CH

— Kristen Byrd (@KristenByrd7) April 19, 2022

Much of the US West is experiencing severe to extreme drought conditions. The fire is no surprise as half the country has experienced one of the worst megadroughts in 1,200 years.  

New forecasts by federal government meteorologists may suggest drought conditions could worsen as there’s a 59% chance of La Niña for the Northern Hemisphere through summer. What this would mean is drier conditions that could spark even more wildfires.