Late Wednesday, June 10th. Most of the smoke is from upper Pima Canyon, Finger Rock and Mt. Kimball.
Around 6:00 am Thursday, June 11th. The smoke has settled in over
the Catalina Mountains and beginning to move down into the Tucson basin.
The smell from the fire is very noticeable as I leave for my
morning walk in the neighborhood.
I’m now at the back of Tanuri Ridge as more of the smoke appears
to be leaving the mountains spreading over the Catalina Foothills.
I’m beginning to think I should have warned a facemask.
Now at the entrance of Tanuri Ridge and you can bearly make out
the mountains.
I used a Photoshop Dehaze filter on some of these images so in reality,
there was much more smoke and haze.
Tanuri Drive
As I continued my walk, the parts of the fire appeared to be
backtracking to the west.
There’s very little wind this morning, so a lot of the news smoke
coming from downdrafts through where rain would typically
flow off the mountains.
A big plum of smoke coming from the Finger Rock area.
It is now around 8:00 am.
It is now around 10:30 am. The fire is now about a mile west of
Pima Canyon trailhead. (Because of my distance from the
mountains, I’m making an educated guess.)
The following copy is from Haidi Chewel, with the National Forest Service.
Bighorn Fire – June 11th, 2020 Morning Update
Pima County Sheriff’s Department issues “SET” notice
Acres: 4,769 Percent Containment: 10%
Start Date: June 5th, 2020 Cause: Lightning
Origin Location: Santa Catalina Mountains
Jurisdiction: Coronado National Forest, including portions of the Pusch Ridge Wilderness
Personnel: 391
Resources: 6 hotshot crews, 3 Type 2 hand crews, 7 Type 3 engines, 1 Type 4 engine, 7 Type 6 engines, 4 Type 1 helicopters, 1 Type 2 helicopter, 2 Type 3 helicopter, 10 water tenders
The Bighorn Fire remained active overnight, with flames being pushed downhill by downslope winds. Temperatures up to 106 degrees today and continued low humidity will increase fire activity. The fire will again be highly visible on the front range of the Santa Catalina Mountains. Crews will work to hold the fire perimeter and continue building fire lines, tying into control features such as roads and rock outcroppings. Additional aerial resources will support the crews on the ground with water and retardant drops.
Over the next several days’ communities can expect to see crews and apparatus working in an around subdivisions in the Catalina Foothills. Members of the public are advised to drive with caution and leave roadways clear for emergency vehicles and equipment to pass.
Thanks for your skilled dedication to this crucial matter!
Pima County Sheriff’s Department
1 hr ·
‼️Evacuation Message‼️
This is a message from the Pima County Office of Emergency Management and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
A wildfire back burn will be conducted this morning in your area to protect homes and property.
As part of the Ready, Set, GO! process, the area on the attached map in the Northern part of the area of the Catalina Foothills between Alvernon Way and 1st Avenue, North of Ina Road is now in the “GO!” state and is being evacuated.
If you are in this area, EVACUATE NOW.
Move south away from the Catalina Mountains. Do not delay leaving the area. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department will be going door to door to make contact with those affected residents who may not have received the message.
A cooling shelter is available at CDO High School, 25 W Calle Concordia, in Oro Valley.
Additional messaging will be sent as the situation changes.
Questions from residents in the area should be directed to 351-FIRE (3473)
Bighorn Fire information can be found here: http://www.pima.gov/Bighorn
Pima County Emergency Alert information can be found here: https://emergencyalerts.pima.gov/
Find out more about the Ready, Set, Go program here: https://ein.az.gov/ready-set-go
Despite the scary fire situation, you’ve managed to capture the beauty of your surroundings. Wishing you and your community all the best.
Be careful, Kenne. The smoke from these fires can cause lung problems. When Ethel and I lived in Continental Divide the fire season played havoc with us on way too many occasions. You are too valued to have you develop complications because of the smoke, especially with covid-19 already a big danger.
Tom, when I started my walk this morning, I thought about going back to the house for a muck. However, the conditions began to change quickly, which you can tell from the images. The air assault has been massive today, so we will see what tomorrow brings. Today was 105, with about 7% humidity. The wind was moderate but forecasted to be windier in the coming days. Your concern is most appreciated.
Is your home in danger? Please be careful with all that smoke in the air.