In this Monday, Dec. 30, 2019, aerial photo, wildfires rage under plumes of smoke in Bairnsdale, Australia. Thousands of tourists fled Australia's wildfire-ravaged eastern coast Thursday ahead of worsening conditions as the military started to evacuate people trapped on the shore further south. (Glen Morey via AP)
APTOPIX Australia Wildfires
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Winds that are expected to intensify through the end of the week have been a major obstacle for firefighters battling blazes across the Southwest. 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, more than tripled in size Wednesday. Firefighters haven’t been able to get ahead of it because of erratic winds that have grounded air resources.
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.
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