SHOW LOW, Ariz. - Firefighters battling a huge wildfire raging just outside this Arizona town said they were getting a handle on the blaze and hoped to prevent a "wall of flames" from roaring across the small mountain community.
A smoky haze blanketed parts of Show Low, hampering air operations by fire crews massed to fight the biggest wildfire in Arizona state history, now burning just a mile (1.6 km) away from the town center. But officials said the fire had slowed and that newly-cut fire breaks and good weather conditions were helping to tame the massive blaze that has raged out of control in the eastern Arizona high country about 150 miles (240 km) northeast of Phoenix.
"We're going to get a handle on this fire. We're beginning to get the upper hand," said Jim Paxon, a fire spokesman.
"Mother Nature can still deal us a bunch of jokers and strange cards, but we're going to continue the determined fight to catch this fire and put it out."
The fire, which began last Tuesday, now covers more than 331,000 acres (134,000 hectares). It has burned some 329 homes and 16 businesses and forced an estimated 30,000 people to evacuate.
Paxon said firefighters hoped to get their first degree of containment on the wildfire later Monday, and said that fire lines appeared to be holding the blaze back from a full frontal assault on Show Low.
But flying embers remain a serious threat, and firefighters are gearing up for a series of quick strikes aimed at dousing any smaller fires that might be sparked in town.
"We're feeling a lot better about it," said Bill Jackson, a fire specialist working at the main firefighting camp.
"We're going to have some problems with spotting and as long as we can stay on top of that, we've got a relatively decent chance of keeping it from coming into Show Low."
SMOKY GHOST TOWN
Show Low, whose 8,000 residents were told to leave Saturday, remained a smoky ghost town with police patrolling the deserted streets and fire and emergency vehicles the only traffic on the roads.
About 2,200 people are waging war against the fire, attacking the blaze with about a dozen helicopters and 15 air tankers used to drop flame retardant.
The Federal Aviation Administration opened a temporary air traffic control center in Show Low to direct the air operation, one of the largest ever mounted in the state.
Officials said more equipment and crews were coming, including several "type one" management teams used for top level wildfire emergencies.
The Arizona fire - which became the largest wildfire in the nation when two separate blazes merged Sunday - now measures some 520 square miles (1,346), an area bigger than the city of Los Angeles.
Fire officials said the battle against the fire was helped Monday by favorable weather conditions, with little wind and moderate temperatures.
Humidity, however, remained extremely low - exacerbating tinder dry conditions in a region which, like much of the U.S. West, is gripped by drought. Show Low has seen only about a quarter of its normal rainfall since September.
EVACUEES WAIT FOR NEWS
Show Low, which was named for the winning hand in a card game between two homesteaders gambling for land in the 1870s, has long been a magnet for tourists eager to enjoy some of Arizona's largest pinyon pine forests.
Several dozen Show Low residents have ignored warnings by authorities and decided to stay behind, trying to protect their homes until the last possible moment.
Scott Heineman, who has lived in the area for 25 years, said he is adopting a wait-and-see approach to the fire that is about two miles (3.2 km) from his mobile home.
"I'm sitting here and waiting right now," said Heineman, 32. "I'm doing all that I can to save what I have here. We'll have to see what happens."
But others obeyed the evacuation order, packing their belongings into their cars and trucks and heading for Red Cross shelters, motels, or the homes of friends.
"When you see cloud coming out of the hill, you don't hesitate," said Linda Daniel, who left the town with her husband and two basset hounds.
"You always know there's a risk when you live in an area where there are pine trees," she said. "But it goes with the territory when you live in the mountains."
Donna Caldwell, another Show Low resident, packed up her six dogs, five cats and two horses before leaving with her husband after receiving the evacuation warning.
"I would like to go back and see my home standing there, but if not we'll rebuild and we'll go on," she said. "I can tell you, it's going to leave a scar, a big scar."
To the north in Colorado, officials reported progress on containing the Hayman fire about 55 miles (90 km) southwest of Denver, which was about 69 percent contained after charring 137,000 acres (54,800 hectares).:
