More than 1,100 residents in the desert region of the U.S. state of Arizona have been evacuated due to a wind-driven wildfire, authorities said on
Wednesday.
The wildfire, dubbed Diamond Fire, started Tuesday afternoon near Scottsdale, a city in the Phoenix metropolitan area, according to the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management.
The fire has exploded to 2,500 acres (around 10.1 square km) without any containment, burning through grass and brush just northwest of the McDowell Mountains, said the department in an update posted on its Facebook page.
The nearby McDowell Mountain Regional Park is closed due to the active fire west of the park.
The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management said that hand crews made excellent progress getting line around the fire overnight.
"Crews will work against critical fire weather, hot and dry conditions, high winds and low relative humidity -- all which play a crucial factor in fire activity," the department said.
Officials said that approximately 1,145 residents were evacuated near the fire affecting more than 100 homes on Tuesday night.
"We have one report of a secondary structure lost, but due to the fire activity a full damage assessment cannot be conducted at this time," said the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management.
About 300 firefighters, with aircraft support, are continuing their efforts against the blaze.
