Fire threatens Arizona mountain resort

PHOENIX, July 1 (UPI) -- A wildfire northwest of Phoenix Tuesday threatened the small Arizona mountain resort community of Crown King.

Officials announced a voluntary evacuation Monday, The Arizona Republic reported, but some residents stayed put in spite of the warnings.

The Lane 2 fire began Saturday. Authorities believe it may have been started accidentally by hikers trying to signal for help. By Monday, the blaze had consumed 5,300 acres, destroyed at least seven buildings, including three houses, and remained uncontained.

Late in the day, the wildfire was within a quarter-mile of Crown King. The community 20 miles from Prescott has about 120 houses, most of them used as weekend and vacation retreats.

Farther north, the Walla Valley fire continued to burn on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The fire began as a prescribed burn that got out of control.

One of the victims of a helicopter collision in Flagstaff was a Montana firefighter being evacuated to a hospital after being injured at the Walla Valley blaze.