PAYSON, Ariz., July 2 (UPI) -- Fire crews in Arizona said Friday they were keeping a 43,000-acre wildfire largely at bay while another blaze in Alaska forced several evacuations.
Neither the Willow Fire outside Payson, Arizona nor the 215,000-acre Boundary blaze near Fairbanks were anywhere near being contained, although there have been no significant structure losses reported from either wildfire.
Several hundred rural Alaska residents were evacuated Thursday as winds stirred up the Boundary Fire in the pine forests around Chatanika, about 20 miles from Fairbanks. Heavy smoke grounded some firefighting aircraft Thursday, but was expected to clear out Friday.
Arizona firefighters said they successfully burned out the eastern flank of the Willow Fire; however the rugged mountain terrain north of Phoenix continued to make it slow going for fire crews.
Weather forecasts called for continued dry weather over the Southwest, which should lessen the incidence of thunderstorms over the fire-prone mountains.
