Extreme wildfire danger escalating across the western US

As more than 500 firefighters battled massive flames across the Southwest, helicopters buzzed overhead with buckets of water for the first time on Thursday. Over the past week, at least half of a dozen wildfires raced across Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico, and AccuWeather forecasters warned that the spring winds combined with little precipitation and warm weather would only help fuel the fires.

Hundreds of people have been evacuated due to wildfires burning across the Southwest. In Arizona, part of the Coconino National Forest, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument outside of Flagstaff and other popular lakes and monuments have closed. Fire restrictions went into effect Friday for National Park Services in New Mexico.

Nearly 14 miles northeast of Flagstaff, the home of Northern Arizona University, the Tunnel Fire has exploded in size since igniting last Sunday as a small fire. As of this Monday morning, the Tunnel Fire has burned over 21,000 acres and is 3% contained. The Type 1 Incident Management Team from the Pacific Northwest arrived last Friday morning. At least 371 personnel and firefighters have been deployed and more than 750 households have been evacuated, according to a news release from the office of Gov. Doug Ducey.

On Thursday, Ducey declared a state of emergency for the fast-growing fire, which will clear the way for state funding for evacuations, shelter, repairs and other expenses, although the declaration can not be used to reimburse home and business owners for their losses from the fire.

About 30 homes have been burned and roughly 109 other properties have been impacted, but it is unclear to what extent.

Aerial attacks with helicopters finally resumed after being halted for most of the week due to strong winds. Officials warned the aerial attacks would likely be halted again on Friday due to strong winds in the forecast.

A 10-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 89, which connects Flagstaff and far northern Arizona and communities on the Navajo Nations, remained closed on Friday, and officials warn it will be closed for the next several days, according to InciWeb.

"Our prayers are with the residents affected by the fire, and we encourage everyone in the area to follow the guidance of fire officials, stay safe and respond to any evacuation notices," Ducey said in a news release. "We will continue to monitor the situation and deploy additional resources as necessary."

The cause of the Tunnel Fire is still unknown. On Sunday morning, evacuation levels were put at "SET" according to a release by the Coconino National Forest, meaning residents could return to their respective homes in the area. While residents will be returning to the area, the release reminded that "conditions and status of evacuation levels could change at any time" as containment attempts continue.

Nearly 64 miles southwest of Flagstaff in Prescott, firefighters battle another Arizona wildfire. The Crooks Fire broke out last Monday morning and has grown to more than 3,000 acres after strong winds pushed it in all directions Wednesday and Thursday.

The cause of the Crooks Fire is still unknown, and has been 15% contained as of Monday morning.

Across state lines in Colorado, firefighters started to get a handle on two wildfires while contending with the strong winds.

In the southern part of the state, the McBride Fire, which started more than a week ago, was 89% contained on Thursday. In the northern part of the state, the Hermits Peak Fire, which started in early April, is now 91% contained.

While wildfires in this area during this time of year are often started by human error, as fire weather doesn't typically start to pick up until the late spring and early summer months, AccuWeather Meteorologist Dave Houk said the extreme drought is making these areas in the Southwest more susceptible to wildfires than usual.

An extreme level, which is the highest level, was issued for a large swath of the Southwest for Friday. The National Weather Service (NWS) in Albuquerque noted how dangerous this fire level was in a tweet on Friday morning.

"We cannot overstate how dire & dangerous the weather situation is [Friday]," NWS Albuquerque wrote on Twitter. "Ongoing wildfires will spread & grow rapidly!"

ABC News Chief Meteorologist Ginger Zee wrote that the extreme level is often seen in rural areas, but Friday's forecast encompasses large cities, such as Denver and Albuquerque, which is "relatively rare."

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