Fire crews in the West Valley have been working to contain a large and fast-growing brush fire burning near Buckeye, drawing a significant emergency response from multiple agencies.

The fire, known as the Hazen Fire, broke out Saturday afternoon near Hazen and Rooks roads in the Buckeye area. When firefighters were first called around 3 p.m., the blaze was relatively small at about six acres. However, it quickly spread and grew to more than 270 acres within just a few hours.

By Monday morning, the fire had expanded dramatically to an estimated 980 acres and remained completely uncontained. Officials confirmed that crews were still actively battling the blaze as it continued burning in the area near Highway 85.

Firefighters say the location has made the situation especially difficult to manage. The fire is burning in the Gila River bottom, an area filled with dense vegetation and limited access points, making it challenging for crews to reach certain sections of the fire. Because of this, responders are sometimes allowing the fire to burn through available fuels in a controlled way while maintaining containment lines.

Weather conditions and the type of vegetation involved have added to the difficulty. Officials noted that windy conditions and fuels like cedar are helping drive the fire’s spread and intensity. Despite those challenges, crews have been working to hold the fire line, particularly on the western side, while monitoring its movement toward the east. Additional firefighting resources have also been brought in to assist with containment efforts.

As a precaution, authorities temporarily shut down the northbound lanes of Highway 85 due to concerns about visibility and the fire’s proximity to the roadway. The highway has since reopened. Arizona Public Service also shut off power lines in the area for safety reasons, and some damage to electrical infrastructure has been reported, although the extent of outages remains unclear.

Despite the size and intensity of the fire, officials say there are no mandatory evacuations in place, and no homes or structures have been reported damaged. However, residents have been advised that they may choose to leave voluntarily depending on their comfort level.

A temporary flight restriction has also been put into effect over the area, prohibiting unauthorized aircraft, including drones, from entering the airspace so that firefighting operations can continue safely.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and the investigation remains ongoing as crews continue working to contain the blaze.

Source: ABC15 Phoenix