Firefighters grapple with triple-digit heat against wildfire
June 12, 2020 6:55PM AKDT
By MATT YORK and ANITA SNOW Associated Press
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Authorities say hundreds of Arizona residents under an evacuation notice may return home, but they should still be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice as a wildfire burns in a national forest near Tucson. Firefighters are trying to keep the blaze in canyons and ridges and prevent it from moving downhill. Over 400 firefighters aided by aircraft dropping water and retardant battled the week-old lightning-sparked fire that as of Friday had burned nearly 11 square miles of mostly brush and tall grass. Authorities have said dry, hot weather and the steep, rocky topography have been major challenges.