Diamond Fire in north Scottsdale now 100% contained
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - A brush fire that broke out near McDowell Mountain Regional Park is now fully contained, forestry officials said on July 5.
The Diamond Fire burned near 128th Street and Ranch Gate Road and threatened dozens of homes in late June. At one point, 1,145 residents living in the area were told to evacuate.
Scottsdale Fire Capt. Dave Folio says the fire started with a construction crew at a new build cutting rebar. He says this has been the case with the last few fires in the area.
Forestry officials on June 28 said one secondary structure was destroyed in the fire.
Diamond Fire: Some residents return to pink-hued homes
As crews continue to make progress on a wildfire that burned close to homes near Scottsdale, residents are allowed to return home, where cleanup efforts are already underway. FOX 10's Stephanie Bennett spoke with one area resident who returned home, and discovered that parts of his home have changed color as a result of firefighting efforts.
Scottsdale Fire Capt. David Folio said the fire began in Scottsdale but later moved into county and state lands to the east.
The fire has been fueled by grass and brush that dry out quickly once things start to warm up, forestry department spokesperson Tiffany Davila said.
"We had very successful overnight. We have a line around the entire fire and people are starting to do mop-up," Davila said at a news conference the next morning. "But we may still see flare-ups."
"People might not see smoke right now, but that doesn't mean the fire is out," she said.
Evacuation orders issued as a result of the fire were lifted on the night of June 28, which allowed residents to return, and begin the cleanup process.
"The firefighters were absolutely fantastic in saving houses," said William McMurtry, whose home sits right on the edge of a burn scar created as a result of the fire. "I don’t know how they did it."
McMurtry's home was so close to the flames, that air tankers dropped fire retardant slurries right on top of his home.
"Now we have a pink roof, but it’s not as pink as it was a few days ago," said McMurtry. "We have the insurance. Company is taking care of the cost of getting the house cleaned up."
McMurtry said he'll take a pink roof anyday, over what could have been.
"It’s a lot better than cleaning up ashes, and so we are just extremely fortunate," said McMurtry.
Diamond Fire Incident Overview
Acreage + firefight response
As of July 5, the fire's size is 1,960 acres and is 100% contained.
Needing help?
Several people in the Facebook group and nonprofit Arizona Foothills 911 are helping residents and animals. If you need help, you can visit the page by clicking here.
Cave Creek Memorial Arena is helping those with livestock and that can be found at 37201 N 28th St, Cave Creek, AZ 85331.
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Latest updates
Diamond Fire: Horses returning to farm after evacuations
Earlier in the week, many people in the North Scottsdale and Rio Verde area had to evacuate because of the Diamond Fire. Besides humans, pets like dogs, cats and horses also had to evacuate. One farm had to evacuate over 50 Arabian Show Horses, and officials with the farm said they couldn't have carried out the evacuation without plenty of helping hands. FOX 10's Irene Snyder reports.
Map of where the fire is burning:
The Associated Press contributed to this report.