YARNELL, Ariz. — An Arizona fire chief says a wildfire that killed 19 members of his crew was moving fast and fueled by hot, dry conditions.

Prescott Fire Chief Dan Fraijo said in a news conference that the department is grieving the loss of so many of its members.

The flames from the blaze lit up the night sky in the forest above the town, and smoke could be smelled for miles.

The fire started with a lightning strike on Friday and spread to 2,000 acres on Sunday amid triple-digit temperatures. It burned several homes about 85 miles northwest of Phoenix.

Gusty, hot winds blew an Arizona blaze out of control Sunday in a forest northwest of Phoenix, overtaking and killing 19 members of an elite fire crew in the deadliest wildfire involving firefighters in the U.S. for at least 30 years.

The "hotshot" firefighters were forced to deploy their fire shelters – tent-like structures meant to shield firefighters from flames and heat – when they were caught near the central Arizona town of Yarnell, state forestry spokesman Art Morrison told The Associated Press.