What to know: Tunnel Fire near Flagstaff reaches 21,100 acres, assistance for NAU students

The Tunnel Fire burning 14 miles northeast of Flagstaff burned 21,087 acres as of Friday morning as strong and shifting winds remain a major concern, according to fire officials.

The fire, burning across U.S. 89, was reported shortly before 4:30 p.m. Sunday and has reached 3% containment overnight into Friday, according to Jerolyn Byrne, a fire information officer for the Tunnel Fire, said.

The cause is unknown and under investigation.

NAU President José Luis Cruz Rivera announced Friday morning that the university will provide immediate assistance with housing, meals, or emergency funds for all Lumberjacks, according to a tweet by the university.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office reported Thursday night that around 109 properties were impacted by the fire, including 30 burned residences and 24 properties with destroyed outbuildings, forest officials said.

Tunnel Fire live updates: Over 20,000 acres burned, more evacuations ordered

On Thursday, Gov. Doug Ducey declared a state of emergency to assist communities impacted by the fire. More than 750 households have been evacuated, according to a statement released by his office.

The declaration of emergency will make $200,000 from the general fund available to the Director of the Arizona Division of Emergency Management Allen Clark.

About 371 fire personnel were working the fire as of Friday morning.

The Coconino County Board of Supervisors declared a State of Emergency on Tuesday which allows them to expend emergency funds and request support from the State of Arizona.

According to the Arizona Department of Transportation, U.S. 89 remains closed in both directions between mileposts 425 and 445 north of Flagstaff with no estimated time of reopening.

Where is the Tunnel Fire burning?

The fire is burning northeast of Flagstaff across U.S. 89, to the east of San Francisco Mountain, the northwest of the tourist attraction Hundred Dollar Hill, the west of Black Bottom Crater and south of the Deadman Mesa mountain peak.

Tunnel Fire has covered a northwest portion of Black Bill Park and is burning in the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. The fire also has reached Black Mountain.

Fleishman said the western portion of the Tunnel Fire is burning through a part of the scar of Schultz Fire, which burned over 15,000 acres of forest and was the largest wildfire in Arizona in 2010. The fuels that the Schultz Fire left are more likely to spread new fires.

"Now it's burning through trees that have been dead for 10 years, and a lot of them have fallen on the ground and it's more open, so there's more grass," Fleishman said.

Evacuations for Tunnel Fire

According to the Coconino County Situational Awareness Viewer, the following areas have to evacuate:

• North of Campbell Avenue, west of U.S. 89

• North of Campbell Avenue, east of U.S. 89

• Moon Crater

The areas that should prepare for possible evacuation orders are:

• South of Campbell Avenue, west of U.S. 89

• South of Campbell Avenue, east of U.S. 89

• Antelope Hills

• Areas east of existing evacuation areas near Moon Crater, north of Leupp Road and south of Stone House Wash

Areas in a "GO" zone will remain in evacuation status until April 24 because of the change in wind direction and the high risk in the area.

There is a chance that U.S. 89 may reopen before the weekend depending on weather conditions, the U.S. Forest Service said Thursday night.

More:Track where wildfires are burning in Arizona in 2022

People who have evacuated their homes due to the Tunnel Fire are asked to contact the call center at 928-679-8525. According to Coconino County, they are experiencing a high call volume but will respond to all voicemails.

Those unsure about an evacuation notice or who feel it might be a scam can call law enforcement agencies to confirm evacuation stages. The Coconino County Sheriff's Office asked to call its non-emergency number at 928-774-4523 and Flagstaff Police Department at 928-774-4114.

Shelter information; assistance for NAU students

NAU assistance

NAU President José Luis Cruz Rivera announced Friday morning that the university will provide immediate assistance with housing, meals, or emergency funds for all Lumberjacks, according to a tweet by the university.

"In the last 24 hours alone, I've had direct conversations with three members of our university community whose lives have been deeply affected by the fire and have learned of many others who are living minute-by-minute in fear of what may be in store for them and their loved ones. As we head into the weekend, I want to call all lumberjacks to action," Cruz said.

Tunnel Fire: Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument burned 'in its entirety'

All students need to do is email president@nau.edu with information. NAU's leadership team is on standby to assist any students in need.

"In the past several days, most of us have followed the relentless burning fire of the Tunnel Fire with great interest and much concern, standing by ready to help and jumping in to do so when called upon," Cruz said.

Shelters for Tunnel Fire

A Red Cross Shelter has been opened at Sinagua Middle School at 3950 E. Butler Ave. in Flagstaff for those evacuated from areas affected by the Tunnel Fire, according to Coconino County. Animals are not allowed into the evacuation center.

Household animals can be taken to the Coconino Humane Association at 3501 E. Butler Ave. in Flagstaff, and horses, goats, sheep, pigs and chickens can be taken to the Fort Tuthill County Stables. The stables are self-service, so people are responsible for feeding and watering. Coconino County advised taking cages for smaller livestock.

Coconino County distributed a number of QR codes that, when scanned with the camera application on a smartphone, will lead to resources available regarding evacuations and updates on the fire.

St. Mary's Food Bank sent a truckload of bottled water and snacks for firefighters from the Tunnel Fire on Wednesday, according to spokesperson Jerry Brown. The food bank is also assisting families impacted by the fire with the help of the Flagstaff Family Food Center and sent 100 emergency food boxes on Thursday.

Brown said they will send more boxes and will be standing by with more resources as needed.

Weather, fire outlook for Tunnel fire

On Friday morning, rain fell over the greater Flagstaff area. Observations from Doney Park and the Tunnel Fire have indicated that a few hundredths of an inch have fallen, according to a tweet by the National Weather Service in Flagstaff.

Even though the much-welcomed rain occurred across many parts of the fire, strong and shifting winds in the weekend forecast remain a major concern for fire managers, forest officials said.

Fire crews are working on a spot fire between 100-150 acres that began around 9 p.m. in the Schultz Fire scar area, Byrne said. A spot fire is a fire ignited outside the perimeter of the main fire by flying sparks or embers, according to the USDA Forest Service.

Though spot fires have been popping up in the area, this is the largest spot fire that has been seen so far, Byrne said.

Firefighters have had a little bit of trouble with the spot fire because the fuels in the area are very dry, Byrne said. Right now, they are trying to prevent the fire from going up the slope of the burn scar, Byrne said.

Additional resources and personnel from the Type 1 Incident Management Team have allowed firefighting efforts to expand to the east of the Tunnel Fire, where firefighters will see if established fire lines will hold up to Friday's critical fire weather and strong winds, according to a Coconino National Forest news release.

Lines will be constructed near Black Mountain today, just east of O’Leary Peak and in the Strawberry Crater Wilderness Area, forest officials said.

Protecting homes and property at Timberline Estates, Wupatki Trails subdivisions, as well as along Forest Road 420 have remained a top priority since the fire started.

Reach breaking news reporter Angela Cordoba Perez at Angela.CordobaPerez@Gannett.com or on Twitter @AngelaCordobaP.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What to know: Tunnel Fire near Flagstaff burns 21,100 acres