More than a dozen homes remain evacuated as a wildfire continues to burn 13 miles north of Kingman.
The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management says the Stockton Hill Fire was mapped at 650 acres Wednesday with no containment.
Officials also warn the blaze is approaching a second evacuation trigger point and more residents could be ordered to leave their homes. The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office has placed the Shadow Canyon community in SET status and says residents should be ready to leave.
Crews conducted burnout operations around the southern and eastern flanks yesterday to help slow the fire’s growth. They also worked to strengthen fire retardant lines around the southwest side of the blaze ahead of today’s Red Flag Warning.
The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for Thursday and Friday for much of northern Arizona. Strong winds and low relative humidity are predicted for a large swath of the region. Gusts of up to 40 miles an hour along are expected along with low relative humidity, which officials say can cause fire to rapidly grow in size and intensity.