Arizona wildfires trigger evacuations

TUCSON, July 7 (UPI) -- Some 100 Arizona homeowners are evacuating their homes as wildfires close in on their properties, reports said Monday.

About half of the 200 homeowners canvassed by sheriff's deputies mear Ventana Canyon decided to stay, the Arizona Daily Star reported.

Fire officials said residents were in no imminent danger from the fire but wanted the area near the Coronado National Forest cleared while they worked to finish a fire line in the ridges above the homes.

Officials hoped to set a back burn above that line Monday, hoping to take advantage of upslope winds that will push the fire they set toward the slowly advancing edge of what is known as the Aspen fire.

The back burn is meant to let the wind push the fire up the mountain to burn fuel before the main body of the Aspen fire can, firefighter Dan Adams said.

The Aspen fire has ravaged 76,000 acres and is 55 percent contained, Incident Commander Dan Oltrogge said.