Phoenix, United States - January 01, 2026 12/31/2025 10:09 pm GMT-0700 GILBERT, Ariz. – The Gilbert Fire Department responded to reports of a garage fire on Wednesday evening in the 2200 block of East Cortez Drive. Firefighters arrived to find a single-story home with heavy fire and smoke coming from the attic above the garage. Once on scene, firefighters entered the home and the garage to begin aggressively attacking the fire. However, the blaze had significantly extended into the attic space. Due to the intense flames, firefighters switched to a defensive strategy, exiting the structure to continue battling the fire from outside. Elevated master streams were deployed to extinguish the flames from above. No injuries were reported. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation, but preliminary information indicates that a firework may have exploded in the garage.