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Wildfire in Arizona Triples in Size as Town Evacuates

Thu, 17 May 2012 16:30:22 EST

A wildfire in the Prescott National Forest grew to an estimated 5,400 acres, or nearly 8.5 square miles, on Wednesday night, reports ABC News. Only a day earlier it covered 2,000 square miles, but high winds strengthened and spread the fire.
 
The wildfire has forced the evacuation of Crown King, a historic mining town in northern Arizona. The majority of its 350 residents have already left their homes, although firefighters are concerned about the 10 or so residents who remain in their homes. 
 
The fire has already claimed two homes and a trailer, and it is only 5 percent contained as of Wednesday. Investigators have not found the cause of the wildfire yet, but they believe it originated in an occupied home.
 
Two other wildfires are demanding the attention of firefighters in Tonto National Forest, Arizona: 10 percent of a 12,500-acre blaze south of Payson has been contained, and another fire covering 1,900 acres was 15 percent contained.
 
In northern Colorado, residents have been asked to prepare for evacuations as firefighters work to extinguish a 1,000-acre wildfire. The fire is within a quarter-mile of some homes, reports ABC News.
 
'EMSL Analytical, the nation's leading provider of smoke damage testing services, offers fire debris analysis to help settle insurance claims for property damage caused by a wildfire,' states EMSL's Materials Testing Laboratory Manager, Eugenia Mirica, Ph. D. 'We have the expertise and advanced instrumentation required to perform complex testing services for identification of particles related to a combustion event.'