The Wallow Fire doubled in size Thursday to 106,000 acres, as more than 2,000 residents and visitors fled the communities of Alpine, Blue and Nutrioso.
So far, the fire has burned six vacation cabins at Beaver Creek Guest Ranch, a horse-centered resort about eight miles from the fireβs origin, said Eric Neitzel, spokesman for the Apache County Sheriffβs Office.
Apache County Manager Delwin P. Wengert said he is concerned that the fire, burning along a 13-mile front, could eventually reach the mountain town of Greer and the countyβs population center in the Round Valley towns of Springerville and Eagar.
Itβs not headed in those directions at the moment and none of those places are under alert for evacuations, Wengert said Friday, but the potential for the fireβs growth is huge.
βThe fire still has zero containment. The wind is spiking up. Today will be worse than yesterday and yesterday was a bad day. The humidity is low, the winds are about 30 mph and they just canβt seem to contain it. Theyβre really just trying to protect structures right now and stay out of the fire.
βOur main fear is that it will continue to burn toward Round Valley.β
See Saturday's Arizona Daily Sta for more on this story.
