Brush Fire Near Phoenix Raceway Prompts Evacuations
A brush fire that broke out in a riverbed west of Phoenix, Arizona, on Friday, June 26, had grown to 980 acres and was 5 percent contained on Saturday morning, Arizona State Forestry said.
Officials said the blaze was burning by the Gila River in Avondale, close to the Phoenix Raceway motorsports venue.
This footage shot on Friday evening shows smoke billowing from the blaze.
Residents living near the blaze, which authorities dubbed the Avondale Fire, were told to evacuate Friday night. The Red Cross established an evacuation center at Avondale City Hall for anyone needing assistance, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said.
The fire spread as a Red Flag Warning came into effect Saturday due to high temperatures increasing the risk of fire, reports said. Credit: Ramsez Ochoa via Storyful
