A series of wildfires that began in Arizona on June 28 has thus far scorched more than 8,374 acres and destroyed more than 200 buildings.

The blaze also killed 19 firefighters in what is being called the worst loss of life from a wildfire in 80 years.

The largest fire began on Friday near Yarnell, Ariz., about 85 northwest of Phoenix. Authorities say that it was caused by lightning. About 50 evacuations have been prompted in Yarnell and a neighboring town, with Sheriff's Office employees going door-to-door to alert residents as 200 firefighters battled the blaze.

The fire killed 19 of the 20 members of the elite Prescott Granite Mountain Hotshots crew, knows for dealing with intense and difficult blazes. It was the deadliest event for firefighters since Sept. 11, officials say.

An additional 400 firefighters are being deployed today, along with water-and-retardant dropping helicopters and aircraft, to secure the eastern flank of the blaze.

The fire has also caused the Arizona Department of Transportation to close off about 15 miles of state Route 89.

Arizona Governor Janice K. Brewer declared a state of emergency in response to the fire, granting $200,000 to support response and recovery efforts.

Another fire in Dan Peak was sparked by lightning at 3:30 p.m. on June 29 in the Hualapai Mountains. It is currently burning 200 acres of brush, pinion, juniper and pines. Yet another fire was reported late Sunday evening in the Catalina mountains.

The National Interagency Fire Center calls for a severe wildfire outlook in July for the Southwest, and wrote on June 25 that “Arizona had a potpourri of drought conditions overall” expected through the end of September.

Temperatures in Yarnell will reach 106 degrees tomorrow, but an active summer monsoon temperature may temper the heat in some areas.

Munich Re research says there were 38 catastrophic wildfires in the U.S. in 2012. The blazes caused an estimated $1.1 billion in economic losses and $595 million in insured losses. Arizona lost more than 216,000 acres to 1,684 natural fires last year. The National Interagency Fire Center's Predictive Services unit forecasts an above normal potential for significant fire activity in the West Coast states, the Southwest, and portions of Idaho and Montana in 2013. Over 22,000 wildfires destroyed 1.5 million acres from January 1 to July 1.

In Colorado last month the Black Forest Fire became the state's most destructive, destroying nearly 500 homes.

Special Reports /

Lightning-Caused Arizona Wildfires Destroy Homes; 19 Firefighters Dead

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