Wildfires rage in Arizona as strong winds and dry weather fan the flames.

At least 4 blazes burnt more than 5,000 acres of forest, brush and grassland in central and eastern Arizona, consuming half a dozen buildings.

The blazes are the first major wildfires of the season in Arizona this year. 2011 was a record year for fires in Arizona with nearly 2,000 recorded blazes which swallowed more than 1,500 square miles, according to authorities.

Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters