Update 2 (8/21/2020 9:00PM)
As of 8:30 pm on Friday, the fire burning in McDowell Mountain Regional Park is now at approximately 500 acres. While the fire is near by, it continues to pose no threat to the Town.
The focus of fire suppression efforts today was on securing the south and west end with fire retardant. Fire personnel on the ground were supported by aerial operations that included two air tankers, two seats (single engine air tanker) and one helicopter. There were also 45 personnel in different capacities. Included in that was one Type 1 Hotshot Crew with expertise in fighting wildfires. Scottsdale Fire provided four Type 6 brush trucks and a water tender on the north end of Town. Maricopa Fire and Queen Valley also provided tenders.
The plan tomorrow is to utilize these same resources in the same manner. An additional Type 1 crew will also be made available from State Fire. The park will remain closed throughout the operation.
This will be the last update for Friday night unless fire conditions change.
Update 1 (8/21/2020 4:00PM)
As of 3:30 pm on Friday, the fire burning in McDowell Mountain Regional Park appears to be contained within estimated 200 acres. Fire crews from the state have continued to fight the fire and has included aerial support. Despite being approximately a mile and half from the closest boundary to Fountain Hills, the fire appears to be slow burning and staying in place primarily due to cooperative weather conditions and aggressive firefighting.
Original Post
At around 8:30 pm on Thursday, August 20, a lightning strike started a fire in McDowell Mountain Park that has burned approximately 200 acres. The weather cooperated during the night and conditions look good for Friday so far. The fire is about 1.5 miles from the north Town border. State Fire has multiple jurisdictions providing ground support as well as air support. Work continues to extinguish the fire on the perimeter.
At this time there is no threat to the Town. In the event that conditions change, the town has an evacuation plan in place for areas in Fountain Hills. The town will be using CodeRed, its emergency notification system, to alert residents if there is a need to evacuate or to inform residents about rapidly changing conditions of this fire. Please click on the following link to subscribe to CodeRed if you are not currently subscribed.
Residents are encouraged to periodically check back on the town’s website for additional updates.