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KACHINA VILLAGE, Ariz. (AP) — Hundreds of firefighters are working to protect communities on the edge of Flagstaff, Arizona, from a wildfire that is chewing up a scenic canyon with towering flames.
The Slide Fire started Tuesday and is believed to be human-caused. It's burned 7.5 square miles in and around Oak Creek Canyon, a scenic recreation area along a highway between Sedona and Flagstaff that normally would be teeming with tourists as the Memorial Day weekend approaches.
There have been no reports so far of injuries or structures burned.
Fire officials say the blaze is about 3 miles away from the residential areas of Forest Highlands and Kachina Village, where 3,200 residents remain under pre-evacuation warnings. With smoke billowing over homes, many residents have already cleared out.
Containment is zero, but firefighters are pleased that the blaze only grew a couple hundred acres overnight after increasing in size tenfold yesterday.
The weather may help, with weaker wind, slightly higher humidity and a chance of rain by Friday.
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150-a-08-(Tony Sciacca (SHAHK'-uh), incident commander, Slide Fire, at news conference)-"bit more time"-Incident commander Tony Sciacca says the humidity will creep up a little bit today with much more relief coming in the next 24 hours. (22 May 2014)
<<CUT *150 (05/22/14)££ 00:08 "bit more time"
151-a-12-(Tony Sciacca (SHAHK'-uh), incident commander, Slide Fire, at news conference)-"case something happens"-Incident commander Tony Sciacca says residents near the fire need to be ready to evacuate if needed. ((watch for dating; this news conference took place at about 9:40 aed)) (22 May 2014)
<<CUT *151 (05/22/14)££ 00:12 "case something happens"
149-a-11-(Tony Sciacca (SHAHK'-uh), incident commander, Slide Fire, at news conference)-"fast on you"-Incident commander Tony Sciacca says draught conditions are making this fire very challenging. (22 May 2014)
<<CUT *149 (05/22/14)££ 00:11 "fast on you"
148-a-07-(Tony Sciacca (SHAHK'-uh), incident commander, Slide Fire, at news conference)-"hour-by-hour deal"-Incident commander Tony Sciacca says while there are no mandatory evacuations, that could change quickly. ((watch for dating; this news conference took place at about 9:40 aed)) (22 May 2014)
<<CUT *148 (05/22/14)££ 00:07 "hour-by-hour deal"
APPHOTO AZPHP106: The Slide Fire burns near 89 A south of Flagstaff, Wednesday, May 21, 2014. Evacuations of surrounding areas took place late afternoon Tuesday. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Tom Tingle) . (20 May 2014)
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APPHOTO AZPHP105: The Slide Fire burns near 89 A south of Flagstaff, Wednesday, May 21, 2014. Evacuations of surrounding areas took place late afternoon Tuesday. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Tom Tingle) (20 May 2014)
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APPHOTO AZPHP101: The Slide Fire burns near 89 A south of Flagstaff, Wednesday, May 21, 2014. Evacuations of surrounding areas took place late Tuesday. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Tom Tingle) (20 May 2014)
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APPHOTO AZPHP102: The Slide Fire burns near 89 A south of Flagstaff, Wednesday, May 21, 2014. Evacuations of surrounding areas took place late afternoon Tuesday. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Tom Tingle) (20 May 2014)
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APPHOTO GFX2399: Graphic shows location and statistics for the Slide Wildfire in Arizona near Flagstaff; 2c x 4 1/4 inches; 96.3 mm x 107 mm; (22 May 2014)
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