This news article reports on a wildfire near Scottsdale, Arizona, that forced residents to evacuate their homes. The fire began on Thursday afternoon and had burned approximately 8 square miles by Friday morning. Firefighters and firefighting aircraft worked to contain the blaze, and there were no reports of injuries or damage to homes. Evacuation centers were set up for displaced residents and their animals. The McDowell Sonoran Preserve was closed due to the proximity of the fire, and authorities advised residents to be cautious due to gusty winds that could spread the flames.This news article reports on a wildfire near Scottsdale, Arizona, that forced residents to evacuate their homes. The fire began on Thursday afternoon and had burned approximately 8 square miles by Friday morning. Firefighters and firefighting aircraft worked to contain the blaze, and there were no reports of injuries or damage to homes. Evacuation centers were set up for displaced residents and their animals. The McDowell Sonoran Preserve was closed due to the proximity of the fire, and authorities advised residents to be cautious due to gusty winds that could spread the flames.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Nearly 200 firefighters battled a wildfire near Scottsdale on Friday, as firefighting aircraft dropped fire retardant on the flames. Dozens of people were forced to flee their homes overnight.
Fire officials in Arizona said there were no reports of injuries or damage to homes from the human-caused fire that broke out near the Boulder Heights neighborhood Thursday around 2:30 p.m.
An estimated 60 people had left their homes Friday morning after Maricopa County emergency officials ordered the evacuation of the community on the edge of the Tonto National Forest.
Authorities said the Boulder View fire had burned an area of about 8 square miles without being contained.
“The southeast side of the fire remained active throughout the night, producing flames 20 to 40 feet in length in areas,” Tiffany Davila, a spokesperson for the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, said Friday.
“Additional resources were sent to that side of the fire last night to begin protection of the structure and assist firefighters with beginning suppression efforts to link the fire to nearby roads,” she said.
The Red Cross set up an evacuation center at a high school in Scottsdale, and evacuation shelters for horses and other large animals were set up at several locations, including the rodeo grounds at nearby Cave Creek.
The Red Cross evacuation center at Cactus Shadow High School closed at 8 p.m. Friday and was scheduled to reopen at 7 a.m. Saturday, officials said.
People in the evacuated area who need assistance can call the Red Cross at 602-332-1051.
With the fire burning in the east, Scottsdale has closed the northern portion of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve (north of Dynamite Boulevard) until further notice.
“This closure has been declared out of an abundance of caution to the public. While this fire does not pose an immediate threat at this time, gusty winds could quickly change that,” city officials said in a news release.
The closure includes all natural areas north of Dynamite Boulevard, including city trails on:
- Pima Dynamite
- Browns Ranch
- Fraesfield
- Granite mountain
According to the authorities, the access points in these areas have also been closed.
Independent Newsmedia contributed to this report.
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