Residents in the Phoenix area of Arizona have been asked to evacuate their homes as wildfires have burned through 2,500 acres of land.
An evacuation order went into effect Thursday evening for those living on the southeast side of the fire, northeast of Scottsdale, as reported by CNN.
Officials said about 50 buildings were at risk of being destroyed by the flames in Phoenix, America’s hottest big city.
The Boulder View fire started earlier Thursday and was 0 percent contained by the evening. The fire was fanned by wind and warm, dry weather.
“The tree is burning through grass and brush and has moved from private property to the Tonto National Forest,” officials said.
Residents in the Phoenix area of Arizona have been asked to evacuate their homes as wildfires have burned 2,500 acres of land
The fire started earlier on Thursday and was 0 percent contained by evening, fueled by wind and warm, dry weather
The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management and the Tonto National Forest wildfire teams were battling the fire on Friday.
Officials are using a Very Large Air Tanker, a Large Air Tanker, four single-engine Air Tankers, as well as two helicopters and an air attack aircraft, according to the Republic of Arizona.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Scottsdale Police and the Arizona Department of Public Safety are leading the evacuations.
Nearly 180 staff have been deployed to assist with the situation in the province of approximately 4.5 million inhabitants.
Officials have also set up locations where large animals can be evacuated.
The fires come as the country faces more extreme heat this summer
Fire peaks over hill as smoke rises from Boulder View fire in north Scottsdale
Smoke is billowing from the Boulder View Fire in north Scottsdale
Emergency responders expanded their “GO” evacuation order around 1:30 a.m. from 136th Street to 152nd Street and from Dixileta Road to Dove Valley Road.
That order was updated to ‘SET’ around 4:00 a.m.
The fires come as the country faces more extreme heat this summer.
Phoenix has adopted new methods in hopes of saving more lives in a county that saw 645 heat-related deaths last year.
The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management and Tonto National Forest wildfire teams are battling the fire Friday
Nearly 180 people have been deployed to provide assistance in the situation in the region with approximately 4.5 million inhabitants.
At least six people have died in the city from heat-related causes this year.
Maricopa County, located in the Sonoran Desert, saw a whopping 645 heat-related deaths last year, about 50 percent more than the 425 confirmed for 2022.
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs declared a state of emergency in 2023 after metro Phoenix experienced a 31-day streak of temperatures that reached at least 110 degrees.