Arizona, 20 April (AP)- Firefighters faced strong winds and bone-dry conditions on Wednesday (Apr 20) as they battled a rapidly growing wildfire in central Arizona that has already driven thousands of residents from their homes and destroyed two dozen structures.

The blaze, dubbed the Tunnel Fire, covered an area of some 6,000 acres as it sped northeast, 23km north of Flagstaff, Arizona, fire officials said at a news conference late on Tuesday.

"I cannot stress enough how rapidly this fire is moving," said True Brown, a fire management officer with the Coconino National Forest. "I cannot stress how important it is to leave the fire area."

The fire forced more than 2,000 residents from 760 homes in Coconino County, said Patrice Horstman, the chairwoman of the county's Board of Supervisors.

The fire has destroyed 24 structures and threatened to destroy hundreds more, officials said.