Crews Make Some Progress At Containing Arizona Wildfire

There's some good news to pass along about the huge wildfire in eastern Arizona.

The main headline this hour is "Fire Crews Slowly Containing Raging Wallow."

And the newspaper adds that "progress was finally made Thursday, as officials put containment at 5 percent, the first time they have been able to declare any of the fire under control."

The key factor Thursday that allowed for some progress was that winds "died down, rarely topping 25 mph," the Republicsays. Firefighters are going to continue to push hard because winds are expected to remain mind at least through midday Saturday.

The blaze has consumed "603 square miles of timber," destroyed "dozens of structures" and forced thousands of people to evacuate communities in its path, The Associated Press says.

While today's news is better than the previous reports from the scene since the fire broke out on May 30, the Arizona Daily Star notes that: "Authorities said full containment is nowhere in sight, and power lines that supply much of West Texas and Southern New Mexico with electricity are also in jeopardy."

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