On Friday, firefighters from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe extinguished a massive fire that broke out in a neighborhood near 40th Street and McDowell Road.
The blaze engulfed palm trees, vegetation and six houses, two of which were completely destroyed.
Officials say the fire appeared to have started in a backyard palm tree.
Phoenix Fire Captain Rob McDade discussed the severity of the flames.
“I could tell you in my 23 years, I’ve never walked down a street, a Phoenix residential street, and just see fires on either side of it, all the way down the street," he said.
Nearly 100 firefighters were deployed to combat the conflagration, battling flames that were engulfing structures as well as fires in towering palm trees.
There were no reports of injuries, and the cause was under investigation.
McDade said the incident served as an ominous warning about the danger ahead of fireworks-fueled Fourth of July celebrations in extremely hot, dry conditions.
“The hot embers get airborne and land on rooftops and start tree fires,” McDade told ABC-15 in Phoenix. “We don’t know what started this, but it’s a great time to remind everybody this is going to be a very long, hot Fourth of July.”
