Fire crews battled Wednesday to contain a wildfire that has consumed nearly 160,000 hectares in the southwestern U.S. state of Arizona, and is showing no signs of letting up.

Officials say the blaze has forced some 3,000 people to evacuate their homes in mountain communities near Arizona's border with the state of New Mexico.

There have been no reports of injuries, but some buildings have been destroyed.

The blaze, which began more than a week ago, has sent smoke as far east as the state of Iowa and has forced planes to divert from the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, about 322 kilometers away. Strong winds are helping carry the smoke.

Authorities are working to determine the cause of the fire, now the second-largest in Arizona history.