Phoenix-Area Residents Evacuated as Arizona Wildfire Rages

Portions of Maricopa County, Arizona — home to the state’s capital of Phoenix — have been advised to evacuate as a raging wildfire burns through more than 3,000 acres of land.

The Maricopa County Department of Emergency Management announced the evacuation order on social media Thursday night, beginning with certain blocks near Tonto National Forest:

The alert was later extended to a much larger area covering the Sunrise Desert Vistas, Granite Mountain Ranch, Rio Mountain Estates, and Vista Verde neighborhoods in Scottsdale.

“Be prepared to act. If necessary, take prescriptions, water, snacks, identification and pets,” emergency management officials said in a follow-up post:

The Boulder View Fire, which officials believe was caused by a human, has already burned through 3,200 acres with zero percent containment after sparking on Thursday afternoon, AZFamily reported. 

A spokesperson with the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management said that approximately 60 people had been evacuated by 9:00 a.m. on Friday.

According to the department’s social media posts, the flames have reached lengths of 20-40 feet:

An investigation has been opened into the cause of the devastating wildfire.