19 firefighters battling Arizona blaze die: county sheriff

LOS ANGELES: At least 19 firefighters were killed battling a wildfire in Arizona, a spokesman with the Yavapai County Sheriff's office said late Sunday, updating an earlier toll of 18 given by the fire department.

The firefighters all died sometime late Sunday afternoon while fighting to contain the Yarnell Hill wildfire north of Phoenix, spokesman Steve Skurga told AFP, without giving further details.

He was unable to confirm whether the dead were the same 19 firefighters
reported to be missing earlier Sunday by the Arizona State Forestry Division.

The fire broke out Friday and, according to the forestry officials, has
covered 800-1,000 acres. Residents of Yarnell Hill and Peeples Valley were being evacuated, officials said on a fire alert website.

Local news site the Arizona Republic reported the fire was fast moving and that by Sunday night had not been contained. Federal help was expected starting Monday, it reported, but officials expected that at least 250 homes -- about half of the town of Yarnell Hill -- would be destroyed by the inferno.