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Crews fighting the Tunnel Fire northeast of Flagstaff have gained 15% containment of the blaze, which has been burning since Easter Sunday.
Residents of the Tunnel Fire evacuation and burn area want answers as to how a small fire reported on Easter Sunday turned into a catastrophic wildfire by Tuesday.
At a community meeting Saturday afternoon in Flagstaff, residents demanded answers from forest managers about why the Tunnel Fire wasn’t suppressed completely last Sunday when it was first called in and why the fire wasn’t monitored overnight, especially with strong winds in the forecast. The Coconino County Sheriff was hopeful evacuees could return home Sunday.
Snow and rain showers Friday morning helped douse dry grasses and kept them from igniting more easily, but precipitation levels weren’t high enough to impact extreme hotspots on the Tunnel Fire. Forest managers say it is now 21,000 acres and 3% contained.
Forest managers on the Tunnel Fire burning near Flagstaff say winds are expected to shift Saturday and Sunday, coming from the north and northeast. Firefighters are positioned to respond, according to this morning’s update from the Coconino National Forest. The nearly 22,000 acre fire is currently 3% contained.