Nearly 800 homes, 1,000 animals evacuated from Tunnel Fire in Arizona

Horses, goats, sheep, chickens and pigs were among the evacuees.April 20, 2022, 5:10 PM – 5 min readShare to FacebookShare to TwitterEmail this articleDangerous fire conditions are producing the ideal fuel for wildfires to swelter through the dry landscapes of the Southwest.The Tunnel Fire, which sparked Sunday about 14 miles northeast of Flagstaff, Arizona, took off to more than 16,000 acres by Wednesday morning, destroying at least 25 structures, according to Coconino County officials. While the Red Cross has opened a shelter at a regional middle school, the Fort Tuthill County Stables has been opened for horses, goats, sheep, pigs and chickens that live in the evacuation zone, according to the county.In this photo provided by the Coconino National Forest, the Tunnel Fire burns near Flagstaff, Ariz., April 19, 2022. Some flames are reaching up to 100 feet, according to officials.A decades-long megadrought, integrated with low humidity and high winds, has actually developed tinderbox conditions in the area.The Southwest is experiencing the driest conditions in at least 1,200 years, a study published in Nature Climate Change in February found.In this picture provided by the Coconino National Forest, the Tunnel Fire burns near Flagstaff, Ariz., April 19, 2022.