Arizona Fire Map, Update as Diamond Blaze Rapidly Spreads by Scottsdale

A bush fire near Scottsdale, Arizona, has rapidly spread across an area of 2,500 acres with more than 1,100 residents said to have been evacuated from their homes as emergency responders battle the blaze.

The fire began on Tuesday evening near the McDowell Mountain Regional Park, to the northeast of the state capital Phoenix, which has been closed until further notice. Images posted on social media as the sun set show bright orange illuminating the horizon, with smoke billowing across the surrounding area.

Maricopa County officials told residents of the nearby settlement just before 7 p.m. local time (10 p.m. ET) on Tuesday to evacuate. Maps show that the affected area spans nearly 1,850 acres.

Shortly after 1 a.m. ET, Scottsdale Fire Department said that a team of more than 200 firefighters was on the scene tackling what has been dubbed the Diamond Fire.

Scottsdale Police Department, which was initially assisting with the emergency response, said at 10:26 p.m. that the bush fire had originated near 128th Street—to the west of the evacuation zone.

Shortly after 11 p.m., it added that officers were in positions around the perimeter of the evacuation zone before they turned their posts over to Maricopa County sheriffs at half past midnight.

"We are awaiting the 'all clear' from Scottsdale Fire Department to lift the evacuation status and allow people back to their homes," Scottsdale Police Force said.

Aerial footage from local news station ABC 15 shows a large, blackened area that the blaze had since spread across, with some buildings in the vicinity having caught fire.

Anne Ryman, a reporter with the channel, tweeted at 11:42 p.m. that 1,145 people had been evacuated. She added at the time that there was "no containment" and "still threats to structures."

Updates from local authorities throughout the night show how quickly the bush fire spread.

Just before 11 p.m., officials at Tonto National Forest said that the fire was between 100 and 150 acres. It added that ten engines and an air tanker had responded. At 11:20 p.m., Scottsdale Fire Department confirmed that the fire had spread across 150 acres.

However, a few minutes later, Arizona State Forestry, which is tasked with the prevention and suppression of wildfires, said the fire was 700 acres wide and "moving to the north." It added that there were 25 engines on the scene by that time.

At 1:49 a.m. it issued an update stating that the fire had grown to 2,500 acres and was "pushing south" towards McDowell Mountain Regional Park.

The wildfire watchdog said that fire crews were constructing fire lines to contain the blaze on its eastern flank, while engine crews were working on "structure protection" on the southern border. It also posted a video of a plane flying over the blaze to drop a pink fire retardant.

It is unclear what the initial cause of the wildfire was, or its present exact size, given its rapidly expanding boundaries. Newsweek approached Scottsdale Fire Department via email for comment on Wednesday.

However, the National Weather Service has warned that a mix of strong winds and low humidity have created "critical fire weather conditions" over most of northern Arizona, with the threat expected to continue through the weekend.

It comes after meteorologists issued excessive heat warnings for swathes of the southwest caused by a heatwave that is expected to continue into next week.

In Scottsdale, peak temperatures are expected to remain sustained above 100 degrees Fahrenheit through next Tuesday, topping out at 113 degrees over the weekend and into Monday.

"Heat is the deadliest weather in Arizona," it said, noting that between 2010 and 2020, there were 3,091 heat-related deaths in the state; the next most lethal weather phenomenon was flooding, which had taken just 35 lives over the same period.

Officials have not reported any deaths or injuries as a result of the current wildfire.

Correction 06/29/23, 9:46 a.m. ET: This article was updated to clarify the local time in Arizona.