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Weather Helps Firefighters Gain Control Of Wildfire In Arizona

We've got some good news out of Arizona today: A wild fire that forced the evacuation of 200 residents is beginning to recede thanks to weather.

Reporter Gillian Ferris in Flagstaff tells our Newscast unit authorities will likely lift a pre-evacuation order for some residents tomorrow. Gillian filed this report:

"Cooler temperatures, higher humidity and scattered rain showers helped suppress activity last night on the Slide Fire, burning between Sedona and Flagstaff.

"Crews are beginning to gain control of the most threatening part of the burn, a convergence of canyons where fire managers feared the blaze might get away from them and make a run toward the city of Flagstaff.

"Officials say they'll allow the Slide Fire to burn into flatter areas to the west of Oak Creek Canyon where thinning treatments have been conducted. More than 200 residents of Oak Creek remain evacuated. However, the Coconino county sheriff's office says a pre-evacuation notice for more than 3,000 Flagstaff residents will be lifted tomorrow."

The National Interagency Fire Center puts the slide fire at 50 percent contained.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Eyder Peralta is NPR's East Africa correspondent based in Nairobi, Kenya.
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