Mass evacuations in Arizona as raging wildfires tear through 2,500 acres - as horrifying images emerge

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Residents of the Phoenix area in Arizona have been asked to evacuate their homes as wildfires have burned through 2,500 acres of land.

An evacuation order went into effect Thursday night for those living on the southeast side of the fire, northeast of Scottsdale, as reported by CNN.

Officials said about 50 buildings were at risk of being destroyed by the flames in Phoenix, America's hottest big city.

The Boulder View Fire began earlier on Thursday and was at 0 percent containment by nightfall, fueled by winds and hot, dry weather.

'It’s burning through grass and brush and has moved off of private land onto the Tonto National Forest,' officials said.

Residents of the Phoenix area in Arizona have been asked to evacuate their homes as wildfires have burned through 2,500 acres of land

The fire began earlier on Thursday and has at 0 percent containment by nightfall, fueled by winds and hot, dry weather

The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management and the Tonto National Forest wildfire teams are engaged in battling the fire on Friday.

Officials are using  a Very Large Air Tanker, a Large Air Tanker, four Single Engine Air Tankers, as well as two helicopters and an Air Attack plane, per the Arizona Republic.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Scottsdale Police and the Arizona Department of Public Safety are leading the evacuations.

Nearly 180 personnel have been deployed to assist with the situation in the county of about 4.5million people.

Officials have also set up locations where large animals can be evacuated to.

The fires come as the nation is dealing with more extreme heat this summer

Fire peaks over a hill as smoke emerges from the Boulder View Fire in north Scottsdale

Smoke emerges from the Boulder View Fire in north Scottsdale

Emergency personnel expanded their 'GO' evacuation order at about 1.30am from 136th Street to 152nd Street and from Dixileta Road to Dove Valley Road.

That order was updated to 'SET' at around 4am.

The fires come as the nation is dealing with more extreme heat this summer.

Phoenix has adopted new methods in hopes of saving more lives in a county that saw 645 heat-related deaths last year.

The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management and the Tonto National Forest wildfire teams are engaged in battling the fire on Friday

At least six people have died from heat-related causes this year so far in the city.

Situated in the Sonoran desert, Maricopa County saw a stunning 645 heat-related deaths last year, about 50 percent more than the 425 confirmed for 2022.

Arizona governor Katie Hobbs declared a state of emergency in 2023 after metro Phoenix experienced a 31-day streak of temperatures reaching at least 110 degrees.

This is a developing story.