Diamond Fire in Scottsdale now 93% contained; cause unknown

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As crews continue to contain the Diamond Fire in north Scottsdale, the Arizona Department of Forestry lifted evacuation orders just after 7 p.m. Wednesday, while urging residents to remain cautious as they returned home.

The agency said the fire had now been 93% contained, and remained at 1,960 acres — a smaller figure than before thanks to more accurate mapping.

The agency said investigators believed the fire to have been human-caused, but added that it would not say what the source of the fire's ignition was due to the ongoing investigation.

The Diamond Fire began as a brush fire at about 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, near 130th Street and Ranch Gate Road. Early Wednesday, fire officials calculated the fire had consumed an estimated 2,500 acres.

According to InciWeb, Diamond impacted multiple homes and forced evacuations by Scottsdale police. Scottsdale reported that nearly 100-plus homes had been evacuated, affecting at its peak about 1,145 people.

Officials with the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management said on Wednesday the fire stayed within its footprint overnight, with no additional movement or growth, but hot, dry and breezy conditions forecast for Thursday may cook up some activity in the afternoon.

"Hand crews focused on working the hot edges and securing up containment line ensuring it will hold during the afternoon winds. Operations reports the lines are holding well, with some interior flareups due to - and expected - unburned pockets of fuel. There was some smoke off of the fire today as winds picked up and increased fire activity briefly. Helicopters were utilized this afternoon to help extinguish hot spots. Large aircraft, including VLATs and LATs remain available, if needed," officials said on InciWeb.

The number of personnel assigned to the fire remained at 150 from multiple agencies, including one United States Forest Service Hotshot Crew, three Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management Type 2 hand crews, 10 engines and two water tenders.

Diamond Fire: Evacuations ordered in Scottsdale as brush fire rages near McDowell Mountain Regional Park

Maricopa County Supervisor Tom Galvin, who represents the area, spoke about the community response during a county meeting on the morning of June 28.

"This is a community that was very scared last night," he said. "They were very worried. This fire moved fast."

Where is the Diamond Fire?

The Diamond Fire started near 130th Street and Ranch Gate Road in north Scottsdale, 11 miles southwest of the Rio Verde community.

The fire quickly began moving east toward the McDowell Mountain Regional Park, according to Scottsdale police.

What caused the Dimond Fire?

The cause of the fire, which is still unknown, is being investigated by the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management and the Scottsdale Fire Department.

Where were evacuations?

A slew of evacuation orders had gone out shortly after the blaze began, affecting residents near:

• West of 152nd Street.

• South of Rio Verde Drive.

• East of 136th Street.

• North of Jomax Road.

All evacuation orders were lifted the evening of June 28.

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In the parched community of Rio Verde Foothills, where many homes have been without a stable water supply for months, residents rallied to get neighbors and animals out of the fire’s path as quickly as possible.Cody Reim, one of the people who helped move livestock, said the winds shifted the flames away from the community “literally at the last minute.”“It was absolutely a miracle,” he said.Foothills residents told The Arizona Republic on the night of June 27 that they were unaware of any injuries. But many could still see the orange glow from McDowell Mountain Regional Park as they went to bed.

One secondary structure was lost, Davila said.

Closures for the Diamond Fire

On Thursday, fire officials said road, park and trail closures remained in place.

Eastbound traffic at 128th Street and Ranch Gate Road had been closed as crews got to work on controlling the blaze.

Those in the area near Rio Verde, 144th Street, Desert Holly Drive and 130th Street were also asked to avoid the area.

McDowell Mountain Regional Park has been closed until further notice.

According to a tweet from Scottsdale, the Scottsdale Fraesfield and Tom's Thumb trailheads and surrounding trailheads in the Gooseneck area of the Preserve were closed beginning the morning of June 28 and will remain closed through at least Sunday, July 2.

Additionally, the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management urged those flying drones above the fire to avoid the airspace, as crews piloting aircraft to mitigate the fire would be forced to the ground.

Shelters available for impacted residents

Due to the displacement of over 1,000 residents in the area, the American Red Cross Arizona had opened an evacuation center at Cactus Shadows High School for those in need of assistance. However, the Maricopa County Department of Emergency Management announced on the afternoon of June 28 that the school would transition from a shelter to a heat relief station, open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., but did not reopen Thursday.

Animals were evacuated to the Cave Creek rodeo grounds at 37201 N. 28th St. in Cave Creek, said County Manager Jen Pokorski.

Republic reporters Sasha Hupka and Allison Feinberg contributed to this article.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Diamond Fire updates: Evacuations lifted in north Scottsdale