Large Fire Breaks Out in Scottsdale Tuesday Afternoon

Wildfire season is getting more active in the United States, particularly in the Southwest. Field correspondent Ben McMillan was on the scene of a wildfire that sparked in Arizona on Tuesday afternoon near Scottsdale. The Diamond Fire has burned over 2500 acres and has forced evacuations of over 1,000 Scottsdale area residents.

There is another large fire burning in western Colorado near the small community of Parachute. Some residents of Garfield County are on alert for potential evacuation as a result of the Spring Creek Fire which started over the weekend and has blossomed to over 3000 acres under hot, dry, and windy conditions.

The Storm Prediction Center issued elevated wildfire conditions for the Four Corners Thursday with ongoing red flag warnings. We even have a dry thunderstorm outlook, where storms are possible but the lightning may spark new wildfires.

Additionally, fire weather alerts are in effect for much of the region. Even if you are not under a fire weather alert, given the heat and lack of humidity it is best to avoid any sort of burning or creation of a spark.

For more on the fire danger, join WeatherNation for your western regional forecast :50 past the hour.