This photo, provided by Bill Wells, shows his home on the outskirts of Flagstaff, destroyed by a wildfire on Tuesday. The wind-whipped wildfire has forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes and animals. (Bill Wells via AP)
ARIZONA — Fire season kicked off early this season, as forecasters predict that strong winds will only make the raging wildfires in the Southwest grow stronger. Dry grass and pine needles in Flagstaff were no match for the Tunnel Fire, which caused hundreds of people to evacuate their homes.
What started out as a small blaze on Sunday quickly ballooned to more than 19,000 acres by Thursday, fire officials said. Winds are only expected to ramp up, causing all aircraft to ground.
Gov. Doug Ducey issued a state of emergency Thursday to assist the communities impacted by the fire with the resources they need to respond to its destruction.
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Check out photos below on the wildfire taking over:
This Twitter photo provided by Zak Pressley shows a wildfire burning in Doney Park in Coconino County, Arizona, on Tuesday. An Arizona wildfire doubled in size overnight into Wednesday, a day after heavy winds kicked up a towering wall of flames outside a northern Arizona tourist and college town, ripping through two dozen structures and sending residents of more than 700 homes scrambling to flee. (Zak Pressley via AP)This Twitter photo, also provided by Zak Pressley, shows a wildfire burning in Doney Park in Coconino County on Tuesday. (Zak Pressley via AP)This Wednesday photo provided by Bill Wells shows his home on the outskirts of Flagstaff, destroyed by a wildfire on Tuesday. The wind-whipped wildfire has forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes and animals. (Bill Wells via AP)Bill Wells shows what's left of his home that was completely destroyed by the wildfire. (Bill Wells via AP)Bill Wells gives another glimpse at the devastation left in the aftermath of the wildfire. (Bill Wells via AP)In this photo provided by the National Park Service, fallen trees smolder after a wildfire at the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument in Arizona on Wednesday. Winds are expected to intensify through the end of the week as firefighters battle blazes across the Southwest. Resources are tight, and fire managers are scrambling to get crews on board. (Richard Ullman/National Park Service via AP)Lisa Wells, stands with her dog Lily, as they wait for family in the parking lot on the outskirts of Flagstaff on Wednesday. Wells and her family evacuated because of a wildfire that destroyed their home. (AP Photo/Felicia Fonseca)In this photo provided by the National Park Service, the remains of a ranger’s game camera are held after the Tunnel Fire burned near the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument in Arizona on Wednesday. Winds are expected to intensify through the end of the week as firefighters battle blazes across the Southwest. Resources are tight, and fire managers are scrambling to get crews on board. (Richard Ullman/National Park Service via AP)
The Associated Press contributed to this post.
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