A brush fire burning in north Phoenix near Cave Creek has grown to 1,500 acres as of early Monday, according to AZ State Forestry.
The East Desert Fire, which was burning near 24th Street and Desert Hills Drive, quickly spread to hundreds of acres Sunday afternoon, fueled by wind through dry grass and brush. Crews had the fire 40% contained as of 7:30 p.m. Sunday, but dropped to 20% as of Monday morning as the fire grew in size.
No one has been injured in the fire, firefighters said Sunday.
The fire reached 1,000 acres Sunday night. Wind continued to challenge firefighters, increasing fire activity despite cooler nighttime temperatures.
The fire moved east/northeast toward the Cahava Springs area of Cave Creek, threatening homes.
Firefighters said they are working to protect multiple homes in the area.