Well, good evening and thanks for joining us.
We're starting with some breaking news.
We've been talking a lot about e
risk of wildfires and we have a new one
burning tonight in Far North Scottsdale.
Crews right now are scrambling to try
to contain a brush fire near 128th St.
And Ranch Gate Rd.
Sky 12 is live over the scene right now.
As crews fight these flames,
you can see the wind driving all that smoke.
We're told there are a few homes under
construction near the flames and several
construction workers have been evacuated,
the fire also getting closer
to other homes in the area.
Right now, eastbound traffic
is closed at the intersection.
Of 120 8th St.
and Ranch Gate.
Right now we have Captain Dave o
from Scottsdale Fire Department
joining us right now on the pho.
And Captain Folio, first of all,
thanks so much for joining us on the air.
Right now we're looking at these
images and this brush fire looks
extremely close to some homes.
What can you tell us about the ?
Yeah, so this fire went out
about an hour and a half ago.
We've requested we've got over
100 firefighters on scene from
Phoenix Fire Department. Real V.
Scottsdale Fire Department.
We've also called in state land,
we've asked for airport to come.
So we've actually got two large
aircraft that are they're goingo
going to be committed to this f.
Our biggest thing right now is
we're looking at about 130 6th .
and Rio Verde Dr.
We're looking to evacuate all
those homes out of there and wee
doing what we call bump and run.
We assign engines or brush trucs
to certain structures we both f.
This really comes into play where we've
hit some of this area talking at
the defensible space around people's homes.
So it's helped us on a lot of
these homes so far and so far
we have not lost no structures.
Initially on scene it was 5 acr.
It's gone to 150 plus acres.
Now like you said,
we're into that evening shifts of wind.
It was going north initially and then
shifted back to the to the West.
So yeah, we've got our hands full tonight.
We're asking people to to stay
out of the area.
You know if you're evacuating get out of
the area we've we've talked about the ready,
set, go.
I think we're we're at the go
in some of those areas up there.
And yeah we're just trying to gt
a a some sort of containment and
use the roadways that we've got
up in that area also.
Can you tell us just a rough estimate
how many people are we talking
about being evacuated right now?
Right now I know along 136th St.
in Rio Verde as you go north from this fire,
I I don't have a number exactly for you.
I'm currently still in in route up to
that fire, but I know there's probably
60 to 70 homes in that community alone.
One of the things too is there's
a lot of livestock in that area.
So we've got our hands full ton,
men and women of Scottsville
Fire Department working hard.
Like I said, we brought in state land.
They're bringing in resources.
And yeah, I'll give you an
update when I get it.
And Dave, I'm wondering as soon
as I heard you say re overting,
my ears perked up because we,
we've reported extensively on
the water crisis out there.
How tough is it to get water
to the scene of that fire?
I don't, I don't think that
comes into play actually.
And to be truthful with you,
there's a lot of hydrants out t.
We've got tankers that we've water tankers,
we've got trucks with
water that we brought out.
And like I said,
we're going to be hitting this
from the air pretty extensive.
We've only got a couple hours
left at daylight.
So that's concerning to us.
But we're just trying to get crs
ahead of this fire, get a knock down,
we can surround it and contain .
Hopefully by tonight will be in good shape.
But yeah,
right now water is not an issue for us.
Dave, you mentioned that you
guys are bringing in aircraft.
Can you tell us what kind of aircraft
are we talking about, the big o,
the DC 10s or what, what kind?
Yes, we've got two DC 10s
assigned to the fire now.
One of them has made a drop already and
the other ones coming in here shortly.
So we are asking if you do
have a helicopter in the air,
I'm sure you guys are coordinating that,
but I just stay back a little bit for us.
And as we look at all of these s
that are sort of in that area,
I see a lot of dry brush.
How concerned are you that thisf
the wind shifts again that thise
could move the wrong way and rey
involve some of those structure?
Yeah, and unfortunately we got e
preserve right there, right next to it,
right over 1000 acres of, you k,
thousand species in there.
It's it's precious to us.
All this space out there is precious to us.
All these homes are precious to.
We want to do everything we can
to save people's structures.
We've been talking it out about it all,
all for the past month.
We've had a lot of moisture in that area.
When you when you actually drive
through through there and look
off to your South or north,
it's up to your hips.
It's really thick brush.
But we want to keep our personnl
safe that are responding to
want to keep them working in the
black anchor points on the some
sort of pavement or good Rd.
because like you said,
we don't want our our crews in
there right now and then the wis
just on and then be in a bad sp.
All right. We're looking at anor
view of the fire right now and
and now we've gone back to Sky .
But this looks like it is really involved.
It's probably aided and Lindsay Riley,
we're going to check in with he.
The fire forecast in just a sec.
But Dave, I mean,
the conditions couldn't be more ripe for
wildfires than what we have right now.
You've got the heat, you've got
the wind and you've got this br,
all of this brush that grew
during the winter with our rain,
that's now dried out and is providing
the perfect amount of fuel.
Yeah. And and you know,
believe it or not, one of those.
One of those areas up in there
we actually did a treatment on.
So we've been doing some fuel mitigation
projects up in there because wee
recognized certain areas and and the way
the predominant winds shift and they go.
So we've identified some of thoe
areas and we've cleared them out
and initially it looks like us
having 3 brush trucks up today.
So us to be able to get on somef
these homes that were first initiate,
you know in in direct path of this fire,
we were able to save some of those so.
We are being proactive.
We've got 3 brush trucks and
we've brought in, you know,
that up every single day.
But here it is.
This is what this is kind of
our worst nightmare, right?
And and believe it or not,
I don't know what started this ,
but our last five starts that I
know of have been construction
workers cutting rebars.
So we've been really hitting
the construction sites.
I know this started up in an
area where construction was at,
So I'm just hoping it wasn't,
you know, caused by that, but.
My heart's about the people
that are up there.
We're going to work our tails of
to try and get this fire out to
save all the structures and just
let you know that the men and wn
that's got the fire department f
Phoenix that we've called in ale
surrounding areas and do everytg
we can to get this fire put.
Out.
Yeah. And Dave, you know,
you mentioned construction.
We have seen so much development
in the outskirts of the valley.
What do you want to say to homeowners
who maybe live in some of these areas
in terms of being preventative?
So now is the time to do the 15o
30 foot defensible space you ha.
We're not asking you to remove l
of your your trees and everythi.
We're asking you to bring it up 4 feet,
5 feet off the ground, trim the.
We remove all the dead brush
that's around your house.
You see a lot of these ladder fs
that go up into the attic of the home.
That doesn't help us.
You know, if you get these runng
on the ground and it runs up into the
tree and up in the attic and then then
we're just trying to fight a brh
fire along with a structure fir.
So 30 foot defensible space,
move your your wood piles away
from your home,
move your propane tanks away from your home.
Just give us a give us a chance
to be able to get in there and
stop these fires if they start.
So that's the biggest thing and
then you know, just yeah, so.
We got a long night and just thank you
for your time and I'll give yous
an update when I get up there closer.
All right, Dave, we'll let you o
what you need to do right now.
Thanks for joining us.
We just watched if you've been
with us here since 6:00 o'clock.
A slurry drop right on the perir
of those houses almost right in their
backyards and and this is to ded
those homes from the encroaching
flames and also David mentionede
all the wildlife that's out the,
the livestock, we just saw some
horses running through those fi.
You know that the the flames and
the smoke has got to be really
spooking those horses so.
As Dave said,
our hearts go out to all the fos
that live in that area and of ce
we'll be on this fire throughout
the evening here on 12 News.