Arizona wildfire forces residents to evacuate. See photos

A wildfire burning north of Phoenix has forced some area Arizona residents to evacuate as crews work to contain it.

The blaze, which has been dubbed the Jones Fire, erupted along the Hassayampa River in Wickenburg, Arizona, on the afternoon of May 11, the Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.

It is burning 84 acres and there is no containment of the fire as of 8 a.m. local time on May 12, the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management said.

Crews stopped forward progression of the brush fire at 6:35 p.m. local time on May 11, according to Inciweb, a federal wildfire tracking service.

On May 11, officials in Maricopa County initially issued an alert for nearby residents to be ready for evacuation. Soon after, Wickenburg Fire Department advised residents to leave.

Nearby, Highway 60 was closed in both directions before partially reopening on May 11. The American Red Cross of Arizona also opened a shelter at an area high school for residents.

See photos of the wildfire impacting Wickenburg, Arizona

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. Keep up with her on X @melinakh and Instagram @bymelinakhan.

Brandon Loomis covers environmental and climate issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Reach him at [email protected].