TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT
Brush fire about 30 miles east of Phoenix has grown to more than 7,400 acres
Officials say that two wildfires burning at opposite ends of the state continued to grow overnight.
A brush fire about 30 miles east of Phoenix also grew overnight to more than 7,400 acres, which was more than 10 times its initial size Saturday evening.
The Mangum Fire near Grand Canyon North Rim burned nearly 20,000 acres and was 2% contained as of Sunday.
Near Tucson, the Bighorn Fire burned 12,345 acres in the Santa Catalina Mountains. Officials said it was 11% contained as of Sunday.
Large swaths of Arizona are especially vulnerable to wildfires currently as dry conditions, winds and low humidity create conditions ripe for fast-moving blazes.
Magnum Fire
Strong winds and and “extremely active fire behavior” on Saturday pushed the fire through 19,806 acres of Kaibab
National Forest toward the unincorporated community of Jacob Lake, located about 30 miles north of the Grand Canyon National Park’s North Rim.
The fire crossed Highway 89A and moved northeast, officials said. The cause of the blaze, which began Monday about nine miles southwest of Jacob Lake at Magnum Springs, remained under investigation.
As of Sunday, 392 personnel were working to stop the fire.
Strong winds and and “extremely active fire behavior” on Saturday pushed the fire through 19,806 acres toward Jacob Lake, officials said. The fire crossed Highway 89A and moved northeast.
“Fire managers have scouted and identified terrain features and developed plans to address the fire’s movement today,” officials said on Sunday morning. “Crews are assigned to develop and implement that plan and possibly use burnouts and other tactics to improve identified barriers.”
However, Sunday’s weather forecast, which predicted winds, dry conditions and heat, could make suppression efforts challenging for crews again.
The fire on Friday was pushed north by strong winds that caused blowing embers to create spot fires up to a halfmile north of the main fire, according to Inciweb. Ten additional linear miles were added to the fire’s length on Friday, with the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office issuing an evacuation notice for the Jacob Lake area late Friday afternoon.
As of Sunday morning, the Arizona Department of Transportation closed Highway 89A from approximately Marble Canyon to Fredonia and Highway 67 to the Grand Canyon for public safety. The U.S. Forest Service additionally issued a closure of the entire fire area.
Bighorn Fire
The Bighorn Fire, burning in the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson, burned 12,345 acres and was 11% conflanks tained as of Sunday.
The fire was ignited by lightning more than a week ago and caused three minor heat-related illnesses. As of Sunday, 560 personnel were working to stop the fire.
The fire was most active in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness around Romero Canyon and Cathedral Rock.
Strong winds with gusts up to 30 mph were anticipated to be a challenge for firefighting operations on Sunday, officials said. It may also affect the use of air resources Sunday afternoon.
The strong winds could increase the probability of fire spotting outside of the current perimeter, officials said. Crews were at the ready to suppress any new starts. “The community can expect to see an increased firefighter presence on and around Mt. Lemmon as crews will be constructing fire line and identifying holding features where safety risks are minimized,” officials said. “And there is a greater chance of success in containing the fire on the mountain.”
Crews were assessing potential threats to homes and infrastructure in the community of Sumerhaven. They were also identifying access routes and developing contingency plans in the event of fire spreading into the area, officials said.
The fire’s southern and northern would be monitored to ensure threats to communities in the areas of East Golder Ranch and Ventana Canyon were minimized.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department issued an evacuation notice for residents in the vicinity of East Golder Ranch Drive and East Collins Road. Residents are asked to evacuate immediately when the danger is “current and life-threatening.”
The surrounding area, south of East Hawser Street and east of North Lago del Oro Parkway, including Catalina Regional Park, was under an alert notice that asks residents to maintain awareness of significant danger. Areas also included Catalina Foothills, Golder Ranch and Oro Valley, according to Inciweb.
An American Red Cross evacuation center was open at Canyon del Oro High School. Closures, including those at Catalina State Park, remained in effect.
Large portions of the Coronado National Forest near the fire area were also restricted.
Bush Fire burns hundreds of acres Saturday
A brush fire in the Tonto National Forest near Bush Highway and State Route 87 burned 7,445 acres as of Sunday, according to the Tonto National
Forest officials.
The fire, named the Bush Fire, quickly grew hundreds of acres over the course of a few hours on Saturday. On Sunday it was burning northwest and west of Highway 87 in the Sugarloaf and Four Peaks recreation areas.
Crews were working to build containment lines on Sunday and extinguishing hot spots where possible, officials said.
No structures have been damaged, and none were threatened as of Sunday, according to officials. Infrastructure protection for Highway 87, power lines and sensitive recreation and heritage areas were in place.
The fire was under investigation Saturday but believed to be human-caused.
State Route 87 remained closed Sunday between Bush Highway and State Route 188, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. Travelers should plan to detour at U.S. 60/SR 188 through Globe. There is no estimated time when the highway will be reopened.
In addition to the highway closure, the Lower Sycamore Canyon, Sugarloaf, Four Peaks, Pobrecito, Butcher Jones and Saguaro Lake recreation areas were closed.