Arizona Residents Evacuated as Massive Wildfires Bear Down on Phoenix

Summer in the southwest is often associated with the proliferation of wildfires across the region, putting millions of Americans' lives and homes at risk. Those in the Phoenix, Arizona area are currently dealing with one of these threats.

According to the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, an evacuation order for parts of Maricopa County went into effect the night of June 27. It was expanded as of Friday morning as approximately 60 homes were evacuated, according to the U.S. Forest Service's InciWeb alert system. There are more than 4.5 million people living in Maricopa County.

As of the morning of June 28, the fire containment zone was expanded and includes parts of Tonto National Forest, Needle Rock Recreation Site, and Verde River Recreation Site. "Be prepared to act," the Maricopa County Department of Emergency Management wrote on social media. "If necessary, take prescriptions, water, snacks, identification, and pets."

Residents sprang into action to save their homes, or at least prepare if the fire spreads closer to where they live.

"It definitely puts a little bit of a panic into your mind right away," a woman in Scottsdale told KPNX of the situation. "We made a plan. We have had a plan. We have lots of friends in the area that have trucks and trailers ready to go when we are."

Another resident took the threat seriously when it came to his family, both human and animal.

"We’ve evacuated our horses, and we’ll get some more. I’ll do it all night long if I have to," they told KNXV . "Whatever it takes."

If you're in the area, make sure you have a plan in place , and if you're ordered to evacuate, it's always better to be safe than sorry.