A wind-driven Arizona wildfire almost tripled in area on Wednesday after burning dozens of structures and forcing thousands to flee their homes in a drought-hit rural area.
The blaze, dubbed the Tunnel Fire, swept northeast over largely unpopulated hills and valleys 14 miles (23 kilometer) north of Flagstaff, Arizona, according to a U.S. Forest Service statement.
Flames burned 16,625 acres, an area larger than Manhattan, moving through the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument which has a visitor center and hiking trails, the release said.
Driven by traditional gusty spring winds, the blaze forced more than 2,000 residents from their homes, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors said.
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