Evacuation orders issued in parts of Arizona as Tiger Fire continues to burn
(CNN) -- Communities surrounding Arizona's Tiger Fire have been ordered to evacuate as firefighters continue to battle the blaze.
The Tiger Fire, which started on June 30 after a lightning strike in the Castle Creek Wilderness, has so far burned 9,800 acres, the Prescott National Forest said on its website.
"At this time the communities of Crown King, Cleator and Black Canyon City are in "READY" status, Lorena Gulch Cabins have been "SET" status and Horsethief Basin is in "GO" status in accordance with Arizona's Ready-Set-Go program," the Arizona Emergency Information Network's said in an emergency bulletin Sunday.
"Ready" means they should begin preparing a plan to escape the fires, "Set" means they should be aware of the "significant danger" and have a plan ready, and "Go" means the situation has become life-threatening and they must evacuate immediately.
Fire personnel have been working on suffocating the flames, and aircrafts were also used to effectively slow "the fire progression to the south and east towards Black Canyon City," according to the Arizona Emergency Information Network.
Firefighters are struggling to "fight the fire directly at the edge" because of the steep terrain that makes access into the Castle Creek Wilderness both difficult and dangerous, the bulletin said.
Rain storms helped emergency workers combat the fire, but the Arizona Emergency Information Network said that more rain "is needed to make a significant impact."
Due to the extreme fire danger, the Prescott National Forest implemented a full forest closure, according to Arizona Emergency authorities.
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