At Least 18 Firefighters Reportedly Dead in Arizona Wildfire
A fast-moving wildfire 85 miles north of Phoenix has killed 18 of the firefighters who were sent to stop it, according to a few local media reports and the Prescott Fire Department. Earlier, officials had lost contact with 19 firefighters as the blaze spread to Yarnell, Arizona, where it burned at least 250 structures.
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The fire, which started on Friday, expanded rapidly on Sunday thanks to high temperatures, windy conditions, and low humidity. Officials still don't know how it started. The fire is currently at zero containment.
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There's little information on the specifics of the incident that lead to the deaths of so many firefighters, aside from the severity of the entirely uncontrolled wildfire itself. According to the Arizona Republic, about 250 firefighters were out on Sunday fighting the blaze. They're listing about 22 firefighter injuries from today.
