US Wildfire Now 30% Contained, Destructive Blaze Believed to Be Human-Caused
More than 1,100 people have returned to their homes in northern Scottsdale, Arizona, a Phoenix suburb, as firefighters declared a brush fire to be 30 percent contained.
The Arizona Department of Forestry lifted evacuation orders around 7 p.m. Wednesday.
#DiamondFire determined to be human-caused & is currently under investigation w/#AZForestry & @ScottsdaleFire. Due to the ongoing & active investigation – we we will not be releasing information on the ignition source at this time. #AZFire #AZForestry pic.twitter.com/37YB9H87w1
— AZ State Forestry (@azstateforestry) June 29, 2023
A state forestry representative said one secondary structure has been destroyed but no injuries have been reported.
Scottsdale officials said 1,145 people evacuated about 100 homes Tuesday evening when the fire broke out.
Fueled by grass and brush, the blaze grew to 3 square miles, fire officials said after crews finished digging a containment line.
Department of Forestry investigators believed the fire was human-caused but have not said whether the cause can be determined.
The fire was southwest of the Rio Verde Foothills community, where horse ranches mix with expensive homes, some still under construction.
DIAMOND FIRE UPDATE: I’ve heard concerns from multiple homeowners in Rio Verde and Scottsdale about construction being the cause of this fire. One neighbor giving us this picture and some videos saying the fire sparked near a home being newly constructed.
We took those… pic.twitter.com/4dzzDKHDiv
— Ashley Holden (@ashleyvholden) June 29, 2023
A mountain regional park and a conservation center that rescues and rehabilitates wildlife are also nearby.
Arizona officials applied for a federal grant for funding to aid the battle against the blaze, known locally as the Diamond fire.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency provides funding of up to 75 percent of the eligible costs of fighting a fire.
Fighting the #DiamondFire in North #Scottsdale #Arizona.
Video credit: @rioverdewildhorses#10_tanker #ReadyToServe #aerialfirefighting #planespotter #dc10tanker #aviationdaily #wildfireseason2023 #arizonafirefighters #arizonalife pic.twitter.com/6LPTfLE6K0
— 10_Tanker Air Carrier (@Ten_Tanker) June 28, 2023
The fire comes as drifting smoke from wildfires across Canada is creating curtains of haze and raising air quality concerns this week throughout the Great Lakes region and in parts of the central and eastern United States.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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