SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — More than 200 firefighters were battling a wildfire northeast of Phoenix on Saturday that threatened scores of homes and has forced dozens of residents to evacuate.
No structures have been damaged as the wildfire traversed nearly 6 square miles (15 square kilometers) on the cusp of the Boulder Heights subdivision, said Matthew Wilcox, spokesman for a multi-agency wildfire response team.
There were 275 people combatting the fire Saturday as temperatures surpassed 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) before midday, with wind gusts expected in the afternoon.
“We still have unseasonably high humidity, hot weather,” Wilcox said. “We have no wind right now, but gusts were predicted.”
Air tankers and helicopters have helped douse flames from the sky above the Boulder View Fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation. It began about 5 miles (8 kilometers) east of Carefree, just outside northern Scottsdale on the edge of the Tonto National Forest.
The Red Cross set up an evacuation center at a high school in Scottsdale, and shelters for horses and other large animals were established at several locations, including the rodeo grounds at nearby Cave Creek.
In central California, increasing temperatures and low relative humidity this weekend could result in worsening wildfire conditions for the Fresno June Lightning Complex. The complex — made up of three large fires in eastern Fresno County as well as several smaller fires — was nearly 17 square miles (44 square kilometers) and 42% contained by Saturday morning. One structure was confirmed destroyed, and evacuation orders remained in place.
To the north, the Apache Fire in Butte County has destroyed 14 structures and damaged two others since Monday. The blaze was one square mile (2.8 square kilometers ) and 95% contained by Saturday morning.
This aerial photo released by the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management shows smoke rising from the Boulder View fire Thursday, June 27, 2024, near Phoenix. Air tankers and helicopters have joined nearly 200 firefighters battling a wildfire northeast of Phoenix that has forced dozens of residents to flee their homes. (Bobby Ortland/Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management via AP)
This photo released by the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management shows smoke rising from the Boulder View fire Thursday, June 27, 2024, near Phoenix. Air tankers and helicopters have joined nearly 200 firefighters battling a wildfire northeast of Phoenix that has forced dozens of residents to flee their homes. (Tiffany Davila/Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management via AP)
Arizona wildfire advances after forcing evacuations near Phoenix
Arizona wildfire advances after forcing evacuations near Phoenix
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Firefighters battled wildfires that broke out on the eastern Aegean islands of Chios and Kos Monday and injured five people, as Greece’s prime minister warned of a dangerous summer ahead and said the public’s help was essential in limiting the impact of wildfires.
Emergency services issued evacuation orders for those in the Metohi area of western Chios on Monday morning, urging them to head to a nearby beach. By the evening, more than 140 firefighters, along with eight teams of firefighters specializing in wildfires, seven water-dropping planes and three helicopters were fighting the blaze.
Fire department spokesman Vasilis Vathrakoyiannis said two firefighters had been lightly injured, while dozens more firefighters were heading to the island by boat from the nearby island of Lesbos and from Athens. State-run ERT television later reported that another two firefighters and a volunteer had suffered non life-threatening burns.
“The situation remains difficult in Chios, and all Civil Protection forces will make great efforts to limit it,” Vathrakoyiannis said during an evening briefing.
Another fire broke out further to the south in the Aegean, on the resort island of Kos, and by late Monday had forced the evacuation of several people, including tourists from hotels, as a precaution. That blaze was being tackled by more than 100 firefighters, including reinforcements sent from Athens, as well as six water-dropping planes and two helicopters, Vathrakoyiannis added.
In total, Greece saw 52 wildfires breaking out in the previous 24 hour period, 44 of which were tackled in the early stages, Vathrakoyiannis said. Authorities were still battling a total of eight fires by Monday evening.
The blazes come a day after the fire department managed to tame two large forest fires near Athens that had been fanned by strong winds.
“We have had an exceptionally difficult June regarding weather conditions, with high levels of drought and unusually strong winds for this season,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Monday during a Cabinet meeting. This year’s summer, he said, “is predicted to be particularly dangerous” for wildfires.
Mitsotakis said the use of drones as part of an early warning system for wildfires had been particularly useful this year and credited better coordination between authorities and volunteer firefighters for limiting the extent of fire damage so far.
“We are entering the tough core of the anti-fire period, and this will certainly not be won without the help of the public as well, particularly in the field of prevention,” Mitsotakis said.
Hot, dry weather combined with strong winds helped fan fires in both Greece and Turkey last month. This year’s summer is expected to be particularly prone to blazes following a particularly mild, dry winter. Last year, extensive wildfires in Greece killed more than 20 people.
Follow AP’s climate coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment
A firefighter tries to extinguish a forest fire in the Keratea area, southeast of Athens, Greece, Sunday, June 30, 2024. Two large wildfires were burning Sunday near Greece's capital of Athens, and authorities sent emergency messages for some residents to evacuate and others to stay at home and close their windows to protect themselves from smoke. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)
A burnt car is seen in the yard of a house after a wildfire at Keratea area, southeast of Athens, Greece, Sunday, June 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)
A destroyed home is seen amidst a burnt area after a wildfire at Keratea area, southeast of Athens, Greece, Sunday, June 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)
A firefighting helicopter throws water over a wildfire at Keratea area, southeast of Athens, Greece, Sunday, June 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)
A firefighter struggles to extinguish a forest fire in the Keratea area, southeast of Athens, Greece, Sunday, June 30, 2024. Two large wildfires were burning Sunday near Greece's capital of Athens, and authorities sent emergency messages for some residents to evacuate and others to stay at home and close their windows to protect themselves from smoke. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)
A firefighter looks at a forest fire in Keratea area, southeast of Athens, Greece, Sunday, June 30, 2024. Two large wildfires were burning Sunday near Greece's capital of Athens, and authorities sent emergency messages for some residents to evacuate and others to stay at home and close their windows to protect themselves from smoke. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)
A firefighter tries to extinguish a forest fire at Keratea area, southeast of Athens, Greece, Sunday, June 30, 2024. Two large wildfires were burning Sunday near Greece's capital of Athens, and authorities sent emergency messages for some residents to evacuate and others to stay at home and close their windows to protect themselves from smoke. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)
The remains of a home are pictured after a forest fire at Keratea area, southeast of Athens, Greece, Sunday, June 30, 2024. Two large wildfires were burning Sunday near Greece's capital of Athens, and authorities sent emergency messages for some residents to evacuate and others to stay at home and close their windows to protect themselves from smoke. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)
A firefighting helicopter drops water over a wildfire at Keratea area, southeast of Athens, Greece, Sunday, June 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)
A pine tree is on fire during a forest fire in Keratea area, southeast of Athens, Greece, Sunday, June 30, 2024. Two large wildfires were burning Sunday near Greece's capital of Athens, and authorities sent emergency messages for some residents to evacuate and others to stay at home and close their windows to protect themselves from smoke. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)
