The Latest: More evacuations ordered for Arizona brush fire

YARNELL, Ariz. – The Latest on a wildfire burning near Yarnell, Arizona. (all times local):

2:30 p.m.

Authorities have ordered additional evacuations for a brush fire near Yarnell, an Arizona community where a June 2013 blaze killed 19 members of an elite firefighting crew.

About 30 homes in the Peeples Valley area were evacuated Thursday afternoon as authorities fear the fire might make its way down to Highway 89.

That brings the total of evacuees to near 300 in the area. But authorities remain confident that the fire won’t grow out of control and containment could still be made by sometime early next week.

Fire officials on Thursday put the fire near Yarnell at roughly 2 square miles, up from the square mile estimated late Wednesday.

They say the fire is 10 per cent contained and still burning away from Yarnell.

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12:35 p.m.

A brush fire burning outside an Arizona town near where 19 firefighters died in a 2013 wildfire has been mapped as being twice as large as previously estimated.

Fire officials on Thursday put the fire near Yarnell at roughly 2 square miles, up from the square mile estimated late Wednesday.

Bureau of Land Management spokesman Delores Garcia says the fire continues to burn but that the doubling in its estimated size is a result of GPS mapping.

Containment remains at 10 per cent, and Garcia says the fire continues to burn away from Yarnell.

She says authorities now believe State Route 89 through Yarnell can be reopened Thursday evening.

There had been talk of reopening the highway Thursday afternoon but Garcia says fire managers want to avoid any congestion for movement of firefighting equipment during the heat of the day.

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7:45 a.m.

Officials say weather conditions are favourable for fighting a brush fire burning outside an Arizona town near where 19 firefighters died in a 2013 wildfire.

The fire has burned nearly a square mile but incident commander RobRoy Williams says its growth slowed overnight. He says light winds Thursday morning are blowing the fire away from Yarnell and that the weather forecast is favourable for several days.

Around 200 firefighters and other personnel are assigned to the fire, which is 10 per cent contained.

Williams says the origin of the fire is under investigation but a human cause is suspected.

About 250 to 300 residents left their homes but Williams say the evacuation order could be lifted as early as Thursday afternoon if favourable conditions continue.

The fire has not burned any homes but three structures such as sheds have burned.

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6:55 a.m.

Calm weather near an Arizona community allowed firefighters to get some sleep overnight as they resume the fight against a wildfire that has burned nearly a square mile of brush and grass.

The fire is burning near Yarnell, where a 2013 blaze killed 19 members of an elite firefighting crew.

Bureau of Land Management spokeswoman Dolores Garcia says 250 to 300 people left their homes in Yarnell about 60 miles northwest of Phoenix.

Garcia says winds may pick up late Thursday but calm and cooler conditions with higher humidity overnight helped firefighters.

There have been no reported injuries. The fire has burned close to Yarnell but so far the only structures reported to have burned are three unoccupied buildings such as sheds.

The cause of the fire isn’t known.