Fire officials say the Cedar Creek Fire still is less than a mile from locations which if reached by the flames would trigger evacuation orders of communities or parts of them.
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The fire was reported midday Wednesday and it rapidly grew to throw up a huge plume of smoke.
Officials also told thousands of residents in Show Low, Pinetop-Lakeside and three other communities Wednesday to prepare for possible evacuations.
Authorities say a wildfire burning near several communities in east-central Arizona has grown to 8.5 square miles as firefighters use back-burns to try to contain the fire.
Though crews made “good strides” fighting the Cedar Creek Fire overnight, Navajo County officials said they were unsure whether containment efforts would prevent evacuations. The release stated local resources are on scene, including two fire engines from the Forest Service, an engine from the Bureau of Land Management and Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, an Aerial Supervision aircraft (Air Attack), five Single engine air tankers (SEATS), a Type-3 Helicopter, and a Color Country Type-3 team. It was one of the worst fires in Arizona history, burning more than 730 square miles and charring hundreds of structures in Pinedale and other small communities near Show Low.
The so-called Cedar Creek Fire has burned almost five square miles of brush and timber in rugged terrain about nine miles from Show Low.
A state of emergency has been declared as the Dog Head Fire more than tripled to around 16,000 acres by Thursday night, forcing evacuations in the Manzano Mountains southeast of Albuquerque. Gusty winds pushed it into brush and ponderosa pine.
Its cause is under investigation.
Wildfires are spreading across western states California, Arizona and New Mexico.
This photo provided by Los Padres Forest Aviation and KEYT-TV shows a wildfire burning in Los Padres National Forest, north of Santa Barbara, on Wednesday, June 15, 2016, in Goleta, Calif.
Fires become especially risky when sundowners are formed by high pressure inland to the north and low pressure over the ocean to the south, causing gusty winds to sweep down the face of the mountains.
The latest size estimate Friday morning is almost three times the previous acreage, with just 5 percent containment. Only a few homes were evacuated.
Authorities believe lighting started a fire near Cedar City Jun 15, which quickly spread to engulf approximately 400 acres due to high winds.
Authorities say a wildfire burning in rugged coastal canyons west of Santa Barbara is growing as it feeds on vegetation that hasn’t burned in 70 years.
In central New Mexico, a blaze that began Tuesday had destroyed 24 homes and charred more than 26 square miles near the small community of Chilili.
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Approximately 600 personnel are assigned to the fire.
