Fire crews expected the turn in weather to help them gain ground on the blaze, which has already burned about 345 buildings _ mostly homes and cabins _ on Mount Lemmon.
Gusts upward of 40 mph have hampered firefighters almost since the fire began last week on the 9,157-foot peak northeast of Tucson. Gusts hitting 60 mph helped drive the flames through the mountaintop community of Summerhaven June 19.
The blaze charred more than 26,700 acres, much of it pine forest, but was reported 25 percent contained. The cause is under investigation.
Crews will probably complete a containment line around the fire in three or four days, but the blaze will not be considered fully contained until the summer rains begin, said Buck Wickham, operations chief for the fire team.
Summerhaven has about 100 year-round residents, but its population grows during the summer and weekends as Tucson residents drive up the mountain to escape the desert heat. The mountain had more than 600 homes.
Michael Anderson, a real estate investor who lives in Tucson, said his four-story retreat in Summerhaven burned to the ground. Still, he plans to rebuild.
``In southern Arizona, there are 2,500 square miles of desert, and there's one square mile of privately owned land in the mountains,'' Anderson said. ``And those of us who were fortunate enough to own homes up there had a piece of heaven.''
About 300 miles to the northeast, a wildfire burned Wednesday night in Albuquerque, N.M., forcing the evacuation of at least one street.
On Tuesday night, a fire burned 701 acres on both sides of the Rio Grande, forcing hundreds to evacuate. Apparently caused by fireworks, the fire destroyed one home and damaged another. No serious injuries were reported.
Related:
Arizona Blaze Only 5 Percent Contained
Fire Crews Battle to Protect Arizona Homes
Arizona Wildfire May Get Easier to Fight
Arizona Declares State Of Emergency As Fire Rages On
Firefighters Work to Hold Arizona Wildfire
