State Glance
Tucson-area wildfire caused by abandoned campfire
TUCSON — An abandoned campfire ignited a wildfire this week on Mount Lemmon in southern Arizona while fire restrictions were in effect, forest service officials said.
The fire started Thursday about a half mile south of the mountaintop community of Summerhaven near Busch Spring, authorities said. It burned more than 161,000 square feet before firefighters could stop its growth.
Personnel from the Mount Lemmon Fire Department, the Coronado National Forest, the U.S. Forest Service and local law enforcement responded to the fire.
The campfire was left “without so much as even a fire ring to retain it, left smoldering,” indicating there was no attempt to extinguish it, Coronado National Forest spokeswoman Heidi Schewel said.
Stage II restrictions are currently in place, meaning activities such as using a campfire or wood stove, smoking and welding are prohibited.
The fire caused potential harm to first responders, aircraft personnel, damage to natural resources, recreation sites and the village, officials said.
Mount Lemmon is located in the Coronado National Forest, about 45 miles north of Tucson.
17-year-old rescued after plunge into abandoned mine shaft
NEW RIVER — Firefighters rescued a teenage boy from an abandoned mine shaft after he fell about 50 feet while driving an all terrain vehicle in a desert area near the northern outskirts of metro Phoenix.
The 17-year-old boy was taken to a hospital for evaluation Friday night after being pulled out of the shaft near New River.
No information was released about possible injuries but a Maricopa County Sheriffs Office spokesman said the boy was alert and speaking with rescuers.
Rescuers arriving at the scene found the boy at the bottom of the shaft with the ÄTV on top of him.
Personnel from the Glendale, Daisy Mountain, Phoenix and Peoria fire departments participated in the rescue.
The Arizona State Mine Inspector’s Office says there are thousands of abandoned mine shafts and other openings across the state.