Diamond Fire 911 calls: 'It's out of control'

Jul. 24—With McDowell Sonoran Preserve to the south and McDowell Mountain Regional Park to the east and north, a small pocket of northeast Scottsdale is largely undeveloped — but not for long.

Just over Tom's Thumb from part of D.C. Ranch, houses are popping up all over this area, though one developer promises to "maintain the low-density, rural feel" on a sign near 132nd Street and Quail Track Road.

As the road name suggests, adult quails leading chicks across the dirt roads here are a common sight in this bucolic area.

Many of the scattered existing homes — some in the city, others just outside the border and part of the unofficial Rio Verde Foothills neighborhood — post warning signs, including one that states: "No trespassing. Survivors will be prosecuted."

Trespassers were the least of their worries June 27, when many rushed to dial 911 after a brush fire erupted in or just outside the Storyrock development raced toward them.

"I'm just east of 128th and Ranch Gate (road) — we have a brush fire," one of the first 911 callers reported. "It looks like this started north of 130th near the model homes ... it's not that far off."

"I'm looking looking east right now at about 120th or 130th (streets) and there's major smoke coming from the desert," another caller told a dispatcher.

Though listed as "human caused," the person or people responsible for sparking the Diamond Fire is "still under investigation," according to Tiffany Davila, an Arizona Department of Forestry spokeswoman.

"It's going to take a few months at the minimum," she said this week.

A Forestry webpage summarizes the event that terrorized northeast Scottsdale:

"The Diamond Fire started Tuesday afternoon near 130th and Ranch Gate Road in North Scottsdale, approximately 11 miles southwest of the community of Rio Verde. The fire burned through grass and brush just northwest of the McDowell Mountains.

"Multiple homes were impacted and immediately threatened forcing the evacuation of 100-plus homes and 1,145 residents."

Three dozen people called 911 in the first hour of the Diamond Fire, which charred 2,000 acres of wildland but spared houses. Many callers were calm, cool and collected.

Others — reporting a huge fire moving in their direction — sounded frightened and frantic.

All the callers were screened by a dispatcher who asked if they had a police, fire or medical emergency.

After saying "fire," callers were transferred — with some having to hold for brief but excruciating seconds — to the Scottsdale Fire Department.

"I can see flames," said an early caller, referencing Storyrock model homes as being near the fire.

"Thanks for your help," a fire department dispatcher responded. "There's about 15 trucks coming out there so they'll be there in a few minutes."

'Help is coming'

After the first few callers helped the Scottsdale Fire Department pinpoint the location, others who started to tell about a big brush fire were interrupted.

"We got a bunch of units on the scene and en route," a few were told.

Asked for the location of his emergency, another caller said, "I'm just reporting what looks like a fire off of 128th and Ranch Gate Road."

Saying she was about a half mile south of the fire, the caller worried, "I've got a good friend at one of those models."

"We have a lot of help coming out to that location right now," she was told.

Storyrock is a development of homes starting at $1.7 million. While a few "model homes" are complete, scores are under construction on both sides of Ranch Gate Road.

There are four home builders at Storyrock: David Weekley Homes, Shea Homes, Rosewood Homes and Taylor Morrison.

Representatives of David Weekley Homes and Rosewood Homes told the Progress they had not been contacted by investigators as their homes were not near the start of the Diamond Fire.

The section of Shea Homes — at the north end of Storyrock — appears to be closest to the area where the Diamond Fire started.

"There's a fire in our neighborhood. I can see the smoke billowing," one of the earliest 911 callers said.

"I am in Storyrock and it looks like it's coming from like the Shea community off of Ranch Gate."

A fire department dispatcher told the caller, "We are going to a big brush fire in the area of 130th Street and Harper (Drive)."

That intersection is part of Signature at Storyrock, which Shea Homes advertises as "an exclusive new development within the desirable Storyrock master planned community.

Shea Homes and Taylor Morrison did not reply to questions from the Progress.

"We are heading out to like 130th Street and Harper," another neighbor was told by a fire department member.

Winds of change

Fortunately for developers, a strong northeast wind blew the flames away from scores of houses under construction — as well as established homes in the city and unincorporated county. No primary residences were damaged, according to the Department of Forestry.

Winds of change have been blowing through northeast Scottsdale for the last five years.

On July 10, Scottsdale City Council unanimously approved an infrastructure reimbursement agreement with Storyrock developer David Weekley Homes/Preserve Ranch for $2.2 million to design and construct water lines on128th Street.

Storyrock is the largest of multiple new developments 8 miles east of Pima Road and 2 miles south of Rio Verde Drive (which turns into Dynamite Boulevard at Alma School Parkway).

McDowell Mountain Manor, a future "upscale gated community," plans 32 homes on 40 acres. Sereno Canyon is a 122-home plan across 128th Street from Storyrock.

Another of Storyrock's neighbors is a 42-lot residential subdivision on the northeast corner of 118th Street and Ranch Gate Road.

The hundreds of homes in various stages of development are all on the edges of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve and McDowell Mountain Park.

"You're probably aware of this," one of the first 911 Diamond Fire callers told a dispatcher, "but there's a fire in McDowell Mountain Park."

"We have lots of officers and the fire department out there," dispatchers told several callers.

While most callers maintained their composure, one was frantic.

"I need Rio Verde — forget Scottsdale," one caller breathlessly said. "... flames are coming towards my house. I'm in Rio Verde unincorporated."

The caller just north of the Diamond Fire said she could hear sirens and see planes, "But there's nobody on this side fighting — and it's going black right behind my house."

After being transferred by the 911 dispatcher to the fire department, the caller repeated her urgent request: "I don't have a single firefighter on my street — and I can see the flames from my house."

A fire department member tried to reassure her that multiple fire trucks were en route: "I promise you they're or they're coming your way. They're coming. They're watching all sides of it."

The next caller also had fear in his voice: "I'm watching (the fire) — it's out of control. It's pure black when I'm looking at from my house."

Asked about evacuation, he was told, "Don't do it unless they come to your door."

Another early Diamond Fire caller reported flames "maybe 200 yards (away) but it's growing ... The brush fire's blowing — as I'm sitting here there is a big plume of smoke."

Several callers who wanted to know if the situation was under control were told, "It takes a while for fires to go out — but (firefighters) are there."

The 911 line was "ringing off the hook," a dispatcher told a caller, courteously ending a brief call.

Several other callers in the first hour of the Diamond Fire wanted to know if they should evacuate.

"If it's getting close to you and you can see fire and you don't feel safe — yes, you can leave," a dispatcher advised.

One caller asked if an evacuation alarm would sound.

"Not an alarm, but they send out a Reverse 911 — a warning essentially to anyone that has a landline," a dispatcher said.

While landlines are automatically on the Maricopa County system, cellphones can be registered at maricoparegion911.onthealert.com.

The Diamond Fire knocked out power to northeast Scottsdale and Rio Verde Foothills residents. As one of the early 911 callers told a dispatcher, "I don't have any access to any internet or anything. We have no power we have nothing ... I'm here with my dog and I'm trying to understand what to do."

"They have not ordered evacuations yet," the caller was advised. "So if they do need evacuation, they'll do a Reverse 911. Or they'll come and knock on your doors."

The caller asked about the direction of the fire.

"It's a brush fire," she was told, "so it usually goes in all directions."