DENNIS LAMBERT: The Gladiator Fire burning near Crown King, Ariz. has grown to nearly 8,000 acres, but firefighters say the bulk of the growth Thursday was away from the town. Some 640 fire personnel have been called in to batter the flames, which could be whipped by gusty flames Friday. The fire which started on private property, remains about 5 percent contained. Crown King resident Loriel Meyn says she's relieved her h ome has been spared by the fire so far.

LORIEL MEYN: There are obviously things we wish we had and things we wish we would have done, because we didn't know there was an evacuation at the time. But right now we're close to family and we're comfortable. We're OK.

LAMBERT: The fire has destroyed three homes and a trailer since it began on Sunday. Meyn says when she left her home to go into Crown King on Sunday she had no idea an evacuation order had been issued. The Sunflower Fire south of Payson has charred more than 14,000 acres but is about 15 percent contained Thursday morning. Firefighters did burn-out operations Thursday in advance of the windy conditions expected Friday. The cause of that fire remains under investigation.

Get updates on all the fires at www.inciweb.org.