 Mass evacuations in Arizona as raging wildfires tear through 2,500 acres. Horrifying images emerge. Residents of the Phoenix area in Arizona have been asked to evacuate their homes as wildfires have burned through nearly 3,000 acres of land. And this evacuation order went into effect Thursday night for those living on the southeast side of the fire northeast of Scottsdale. About 50 buildings were at risk of being destroyed by the flames in Phoenix, America's hottest big city.