Arizona wildfire growing

SPRINGERVILLE, Ariz. -- Firefighters worked furiously yesterday to save a line of mountain communities in eastern Arizona from a gigantic blaze that has forced thousands of people from their homes and cast a smoky haze over states as far away as Iowa.

Strong winds and lightning storms were expected to make matters worse in an area dotted with cabins and campgrounds that have long provided a getaway from the oppressive heat of the nearby desert. The fire had grown to 365 square miles, nearly doubling in size since Saturday. An abandoned campfire may have sparked it more than a week ago, officials say.

So far, the flames have destroyed five buildings and scorched 233,522 acres of ponderosa pine forest. No serious injuries have been reported. About 2,000 people fled Alpine and Nutrioso late last week, going to larger towns for shelter.

About 2,500 firefighters, many from several western states and from as far away as New York, are working to contain the wildfires, fire information officer Peter Frenzen said.

A ridge of high pressure was carrying the haze to central Iowa, said Kyle Fredin, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Denver. The smoke was visible in New Mexico, Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas.

In eastern Colorado, the haze obscured the view of the mountains from downtown Denver and prompted some municipal health departments to issue air quality warnings.

In Arizona, the fire and heavy smoke created pea-soup visibility, forcing the closing of several roads. A building was lost when the fire crept into a subdivision of ranch homes near the New Mexico border. Last week, four rental cabins were destroyed.