Fire crews working the East Desert Fire near Cave Creek are making progress. As of Tuesday morning – day three of the fire – the size was still about 1,500 acres, but containment jumped to 50%. Although things appear to be going well, fire officials say it still could be some time, at least another day, before evacuated residents are allowed to go home.
More than 130 homes – some 200 people – were evacuated, and that evacuation order remains in place. They’re eager to go home. “Just because you don’t see fire, see flames, see smoke doesn’t mean there’s [not] activity happening behind the scenes,” Tiffany Davila of the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management explained Tuesday morning, urging people to be patient. “We are doing our best to get you back into your homes. … What we don’t want to do is put you back in your homes and have to re-evacuate you again. … As of now, it’s looking like – best case – tomorrow morning.”