Video From Plane Shows Scale Of Arizona Pipeline Fire, 20,000 Acres Burnt

A video recorded from an airplane shows the enormous scale of the Pipeline Fire near Flagstaff, Arizona. The footage was recorded on June 14 by Kevin Grant was flying from Las Vegas, Nevada, to Charlotte, North Carolina, and released by Storyful.

The video shows an enormous plume of smoke covering swathes of land below.

Governor of Arizona, Doug Ducey, issued a state of emergency on June 16. He said that the fire had covered 24,800 acres and more than 740 fire personnel are trying to control it.

"As state and local fire officials work to contain the blaze, our office will ensure emergency officials have the resources to respond to and recover from the fire's scars. We will continue to work with our partners on the ground to provide all support necessary to mitigate the fire and protect people, pets and property," Mr Ducey said in the statement.

According to CNN, the officials are discussing the possibility of closing the Coconino National Forest to the public, citing concerns over the fire threat, current weather patterns and prolonged drought conditions.

The Pipeline Fire was allegedly started by a 57-year-old man on Sunday who was burning toilet paper in the area, a BBC report said. The man said he was unaware of the local fire restrictions.

The blaze spread faster due to a twister formed from smoke. The BBC said that more than hundreds of homes have been evacuated due to the Pipeline Fire.

Less than two months ago, hundreds of households in Flagstaff were forced to evacuate due to the Tunnel Fire. The fire, which began on April 17, burned about 19,000 acres, according to local media.