Residents in the Phoenix area of Arizona have been asked to evacuate their homes as wildfires have burned 2,500 acres of land.
An evacuation order went into effect Thursday night for those living on the southeast side of the fire, northeast of Scottsdale, according to a report by American television network
Authorities said about 50 buildings were at risk of being destroyed by flames in Phoenix, the hottest big city in the United States.
The Boulder View Fire started early Thursday and was 0 percent contained by evening, fueled by winds and hot, dry weather.
“It is burning grass and brush and has moved off private land into 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 early Thursday and was 0 percent contained by nightfall, fueled by winds and hot, dry weather.
Wildland fire crews from the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management and the Tonto National Forest are battling the blaze Friday.
Officials are using one very large air tanker, one large air tanker, four single-engine air tankers, as well as two helicopters and one air attack aircraft, according to the Arizona Republic.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Scottsdale Police and the Arizona Department of Public Safety are leading the evacuations.
Nearly 180 people have been deployed to help address the situation in the county of about 4.5 million people.
Authorities have also set up places where large animals can be evacuated.
The fires come as the country faces more extreme heat this summer.
Fire peaks over hill as smoke emerges from Boulder View Fire in north Scottsdale
Smoke billows from Boulder View fire in north Scottsdale
Emergency personnel expanded their ‘GO’ evacuation order at approximately 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 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 wildland fire crews are working to battle the fire on Friday.
Nearly 180 personnel have been deployed to assist with the situation in the county of approximately 4.5 million people.
At least six people have died from heat-related causes so far this year in the city.
Located in the Sonoran Desert, Maricopa County recorded a staggering 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 the Phoenix metropolitan area experienced a 31-day streak of temperatures that reached at least 110 degrees.