Gate Fire stopped at 75 acres near north Scottsdale homes
McDowell Mountain Regional Park is temporarily closed
SCOTTSDALE, AZ (AZFamily)— Firefighters stopped a fast-moving brush fire that threatened a neighborhood in far north Scottsdale on Thursday.
The flames from the Gate Fire, previously named the Sand Hills Fire, came within feet of homes in the area of 128th Street and Ranch Gate Road, near the Tom’s Thumb Trailhead.
One firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion, but no other injuries have been reported so far.
On Friday morning, Arizona Forestry and Fire Management took command of the blaze and stopped it at 75 acres. On Friday evening, firefighters achieved 100% containment.
Four large air tankers were ordered to help slow the fire’s spread and assist crews on the ground.
Just after 6 p.m. Thursday, Scottsdale police opened the roads and allowed drivers into the same neighborhood where the fire started and to streets just to the southeast.
Fire crews then confirmed everyone who was evacuated were back in their homes. Most houses in the area are still under construction, and none have been damaged.
Gates at Fraesfield Trailhead are now open, but Tom’s Thumb Trailhead and neighborhood access gates to the Gooseneck area trails remain closed. McDowell Mountain Regional Park is also temporarily closed.
The Gate Fire broke out shortly before 2 p.m. after someone called 911 to report debris was on fire behind a home.
Winds helped push the fire to the northeast, which threatened some homes in the neighborhood. All buildings east of Ranch Gate Road and 132nd Street were evacuated for most of the afternoon.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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