Hundreds of homes and businesses were threatened early Monday by a wildfire that burned 1,000 acres to crisp in an unincorporated area of northern Arizona's scenic Oak Creek Canyon.

The fire that started Sunday afternoon quickly spread through the parched region, forcing the evacuation of about 400 homes and businesses in Oak Creek Canyon and another roughly 100 homes in five Sedona subdivisions.

Fire crews were positioned Monday to try to protect homes from the fire, which had burned to within a mile of some of the buildings. There were no reports of any homes being damaged or destroyed but the potential remained.

"It's going to be quite a fight not to lose them," said Kristy Bryner, a fire information officer.

Oak Creek Canyon, more than 90 miles north of Phoenix, contains a mix of homes, including upscale houses and mobile home parks, said Brenda Grey, a spokeswoman for Coconino County. It also contains hotels, resorts and stores scattered throughout the canyon.

Helge Zipprich, who lives in a mobile home in Oak Creek Canyon, said he and his three sons were in Sedona at the time of the evacuation so they didn't have time to get anything from their home. They arrived late Sunday at a Sedona evacuation shelter in Sedona with only their clothes.

Zipprich said the worst part was not knowing what's happening. "If the fire does spread and gets my home I wouldn't know," he said.

The fire ignited in a wooded area and quickly led to the evacuations in the Sedona subdivisions, including Cibola Hills, Rim Shadows, Painted Cliff, Shadow Rock Circle and Casa Contenta.

Evacuations followed in Oak Creek Canyon, a popular scenic area between Sedona and Flagstaff. The cause was under investigation. It was unclear how many people the evacuations included.

Melissa Wenzel, a spokeswoman for the Grand Canyon Chapter of the Red Cross, said about 50 people checked in at a shelter at a Sedona school. Only six were sleeping there as of early Monday. Only about two people checked in at a second shelter in Flagstaff on Sunday. She said other people were staying with friends or in hotels.