Hundreds evacuated as wildfire rages near Arizona town

Hundreds of people evacuated their homes Wednesday as a wildfire raged near the north-central Arizona town of Yarnell — the scene of a 2013 blaze that killed 19 members of an elite firefighting crew. Bureau of Land Management spokeswoman Dolores Garcia said 250 to 300 people left their homes in the town, about 60 miles northeast of Phoenix. There have been no reports of any injuries, Yavapai County sheriff's spokesman Dwight D'Evelyn said. The fire grew to 600 acres, but crews expected it to ease somewhat during the overnight with cooler temperatures and higher humidity. Garcia said three out buildings have burned but no homes have been lost. About 140 firefighting personnel were battling the blaze, supported by three air tankers and two helicopters making blaze suppression drops. The cause of the blaze was being investigated, but Garcia said crews had ruled out lightning...more