Two Arizona Wildfires Burned Over 60,000 Acres of Land, Prompting Evacuation

Two large wildfires in central Arizona have burned over 170 square miles and prompted the evacuation of many towns due to hazardous fire conditions.

Wildfires in eastern Arizona have consumed over 60,000 acres and caused hundreds of residents to evacuate from the vicinity.

Telegraph Fire

According to CNN, a fire known as the Telegraph Fire has burned more than 34,300 acres near the southern side of Tonto National Forest.

Parts of the town of Miami, Arizona, Central Heights, Ice House Canyon, Kellner Canyon, and Six Shooter Canyon, and the east side of El Capitan were told to evacuate by the Gila County Sheriff's Office on Monday.

As the Telegraph Fire approached the town, roughly 70 miles east of Phoenix, the Sheriff's Office told those living in residences west of Miami to evacuate.

Evacuation

Residents in nearby Top-of-the-World, Arizona, were asked to vacate their houses earlier Sunday by the Pinal County Sheriff's Office due to the fire. Superior, Arizona residents, were urged to be prepared to evacuate at any time.

"If you choose to reject this advice, you must recognize emergency services may not be able to help you further," the Pinal County Sheriff's Office advised residents of the 250-person Top-of-the-World enclave, according to CNN.

According to the Arizona Republic, the Boyce Thompson Arboretum was evacuated Monday afternoon as the Telegraph Fire grew closer to the site.

Between Superior and Miami, U.S. Highway 60 was blocked. In addition, semi-tractor-trailers were prohibited from traveling along a section of U.S. Highway 70.

About 25 miles to the east, the Mescal Fire swiftly spread from 12 square miles to more than 82 square miles on Sunday, fueled by strong winds.

According to Inciweb, Coyote Flats, Soda Canyon residents, and those residing on the east side of State Route 77 in El Capitan have been told to abandon their houses.

The fire has forced the closure of two state highways: State Route 77 between Winkelman and U.S. 70 and State Route 177 between Winkelman and Superior.

Mescal Fire

About 12 miles southeast of Globe, Arizona, the Mescal Fire started on June 1.

Since last week, the Mescal Fire has burnt over 25,900 acres in the Mescal Mountains. Authorities evacuated residents near the El Capitan and Soda Canyon regions on Saturday, according to CNN. El Capitan has a population of roughly 4,800 people, although it's unknown how many were evacuated.

According to the US Drought Monitor, the area where the flames are raging is suffering extreme drought. More than a quarter of the West is experiencing exceptional drought, with up to 50% of the region experiencing extreme or exceptional drought, the two most severe conditions.

The fire risk is growing due to a lack of rain, high temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds.

No Reported Deaths or Injuries

So far, no deaths or injuries have been recorded as a result of the flames.

Two more Arizona wildfires, the Tussock Fire and the Copper Canyon Fire destroyed thousands of acres and caused hundreds of people to flee their homes only last month.

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