The first major blaze this season in Arizona has destroyed half a mountain-top community.
Inhabitants were evacuated and no casualties were reported, firefighters said.
With gusts of up to 60mph, the fire raged through thick Ponderosa pine and consumed about 250 homes and other structures in Summerhaven on Mt Lemmon near Tucson. The buildings were all believed to be empty.
About 640 firefighters battled the blaze that charred more than 4,000 acres, forcing an estimated 450 people from their homes and businesses. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Arizona governor Janet Napolitano declared a state of emergency late last week, freeing an initial US$75,000 to fight the fire. The state’s National Guard was also put on standby.
The state’s largest fire was sparked exactly a year ago, an inferno known as the Rodeo-Chediski fire that claimed 469,000 acres and roughly 500 structures before it was extin-guished.
