Higher humidity helps weaken Arizona wildfire
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06/07/2003
A change in weather calmed a wildfire burning about a half-mile from an exclusive desert neighborhood today, greatly reducing the danger to dozens of homes, officials said. Relatively high humidity of 30 percent to 50 percent extinguished flames in some areas above the homes in Ventana Canyon and cooled the fire in others, said Brad Smith, a fire behavior analyst with the team fighting the Aspen wildfire. Still, fire officials said that flare-ups were possible. Residents were urged to evacuate about 200 homes, and about 250 guests had to leave a resort hotel as the wind drove the fire downhill into Ventana Canyon, an area on the edge of Tucson.