SCOTTSDALE, AZ — A large brush fire is burning in the north Scottsdale area near the Boulder Heights community.
The Boulder View Fire, which started around 2:30 p.m. Thursday, is currently 3,711 acres at 19% containment, officials say. It is moving toward the Wildcat Fire burn scar.
CLOSURES AND EVACUATIONS
According to Tonto National Forest officials, Bartlett Lake Dam Road is closed at Cave Creek Road. The Department of Emergency Management is warning everyone to stay away from Bartlett Lake due to threats from the fire.
WILDFIRE! Residents in the Bartlett Lake area are at risk of danger due to the Boulder View Wildfire. MCSO is asking everyone to stay out of this area and avoid Bartlett Dam Rd. Head to https://t.co/kOJrO9ise1 for more information. pic.twitter.com/9QdpcewIO3
— Maricopa County Dept of Emergency Mgmt (@MaricopaReady) June 28, 2024
Fire officials said Thursday night that an estimated 50 structures were threatened and some residents in the area were evacuated.
As of Saturday evening, residents under a GO status can return home. Areas that were in a GO status are now in SET status.
Residents under SET status have been returned to READY.
The McDowell Sonoran Preserve announced closures out of an abundance of caution due to the fire.
The closure includes the north portion of McDowell Preserve (north of Dynamite Boulevard), and city trailheads at:
- Pima Dynamite
- Brown's Ranch
- Fraesfield
- Granite Mountain
ABC15 talked with multiple people in the area early Friday morning who were working to evacuate horses and other livestock, even volunteering their time for others' animals in need of evacuation.
"We've evacuated our horses and we'll get some more. I'll do it all night long if I have to," Chris Hull told ABC15 as he was fueling up his truck to haul more livestock. "Whatever it takes."
Handover Rover, an animal rescue in Rio Verde, evacuated early Friday morning. The local nonprofit told ABC15 they evacuated 23 dogs and a cat.
"I didn't hit the panic button because it was hard to believe this was happening," said Koco Garcia, the rescue's founder.
Garcia said they had recently moved to Rio Verde and were just settling in when they were given the order to evacuate.
She said they're trying to raise funds to buy travel kennels in case something like this happens again.
The Boulder View Fire is the second brush fire that sparked Thursday near Stagecoach Pass and Boulder View Drive.
Thursday marks the one-year anniversary of the Diamond Fire in north Scottsdale which burned around 2,000 acres and lasted for several days.
Stay with ABC15 for updates on this developing story.
