FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Firefighters attacking blazes across the Southwest are preparing for winds to strengthen through the end of the week. Resources are tight, and fire managers are scrambling to get crews on board. Hundreds of residents have been evacuated because of multiple wildfires. One of the largest outside of Flagstaff, Arizona, has grown to more than 32 square miles. Firefighters had been hampered by erratic winds but helicopters for the first time were able to drop water on the fire Thursday. One incident commander on a fire south of Prescott, Arizona, says conditions are some of the worst he’s seen in nearly five decades of firefighting. Hundreds of people fled wildfires burning in New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado.
Crews brace for strong winds, explosive fire growth in West
