June 08, 2011
By: Bruce Berry
The Wallow fire in Arizona continues to burn, leading to charred forests and threatening to add to the growing number of home insurance claims that have already been made.
Officials in the region have now started evacuating homeowners as the blaze - spurred on by winds gusting up to 60 miles per hour - continue to burn through the Arizona forestland. The fire started May 29 and has now consumed more than 233,000 acres, said reports, and more than 2,500 firefighters have been called in from around the region to help contain the blaze.
Residents in Alpine, Nutrioso and Greer have been evacuated, with many forced to leave because the smoke from the fire has become so thick that it's difficult to breathe, reports the New York Times.
"It extends for hundreds of miles and was so bad this morning that neither the helicopter nor the fixed-wing aircraft could go up," Jerry Campeau, CEO of the White Mountain Regional Medical Center, which has dealt with an upswing in respiratory-related visits, told the source. "We had to take patients out by road."
It's not yet clear how much damage the fire has or will cause in terms of homeowners insurance losses. The Associated Press reports it could burn for a long time still, as local fire officials say the blaze is zero percent contained.
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- Safety officials call attention to home sprinkler system regulations May 24, 2012
- Thousands of St. Louis insurance claims cite recent hail damage May 22, 2012
- Tropical Storm Alberto changes course away from Carolinas May 21, 2012
- California tops the nation in dog bite claims May 17, 2012
