Western Blazes Char More Than 80,000 Acres

Thursday, June 22nd, 2006 Property

Firefighters struggled Wednesday to stop a wildfire from jumping a highway in scenic Oak Creek Canyon and roaring into an area of evacuated homes and resorts. Nearly 600 firefighters were on the lines Wednesday, backed by at least a dozen aircraft and nearly three dozen fire trucks, but the 2,585-acre blaze was only 7 percent contained in the steep, rugged terrain. Wildfires have charred more than 3.1 million acres nationwide so far this year, well ahead of the average of about 900,000 acres by this time, the National Interagency Fire Center reported.

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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13337197/

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