1,100 people remain evacuated as crews dig containment line around Arizona brush fire

Crews have successfully dug a containment line around a brush fire in northern Scottsdale that has burned 3.9 square miles and threatened dozens of homes

Crews have successfully dug a containment line around a brush fire in northern Scottsdale that has burned 3.9 square miles (10 square kilometers) and threatened dozens of home, authorities said Wednesday.

Fire officials said some 1,100 people will remain evacuated from their homes until it’s determined that the containment line will hold up in expected windy conditions.

Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management spokesperson Tiffany Davila said the cause of the fire is under investigation.

The blaze, called the Diamond Fire, broke out around 5:15 p.m. Tuesday and quickly grew — fueled by grass and brush.

“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. “But we may still see flare-ups."

Davila said the fire is considered “zero percent contained” until the containment line holds “and will in the wind.”

“People might not see smoke right now, but that doesn’t mean the fire is out,” she said.

Davila said one secondary structure has been destroyed by the fire, but there have been no reported injuries.

Scottsdale Fire Capt. David Folio said the fire began in Scottsdale but later moved into county and state lands to the east.

The fire comes as drifting smoke from wildfires across Canada is creating curtains of haze and raising air quality concerns this week throughout the Great Lakes region and in parts of the central and eastern United States.