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Wildfires dot the Southwest as dry, windy conditions prove disastrous
By Mark Puleo, AccuWeather staff writer
Updated Jun. 15, 2020 3:06 PM
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A firefighting aircraft dropped fire retardant on the Bighorn Fire burning near Tucson, Arizona, on June 11. The fire has scorched through thousands of acres.
The wildfire season in the Southwest picked up plenty of steam in recent days as the calendar inches toward the official start of summer on June 20. In parts of Arizona and New Mexico, that season is already fully ablaze.
Wildfire worries in the Catalina Mountains ignited in the first week of June when lightning sparked the Bighorn Fire. The blaze, which has consumed 14,675 acres and is 22% contained as of Monday, has been fed steadily by dry, windy conditions.
“The fire is burning in steep and rugged terrain in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness,” according to fire incident overview on InciWeb. “Due to the fire, Catalina State Park and several popular trails in the area are closed … The vegetation in the area is tinder-dry including tall grass, brush, dormant brush and hardwood slash.”
Among that vegetation has been the overgrowth of invasive buffel grass. Ben Wilder, director of Tumamoc Hill’s Desert Laboratory, told Tucson.com that the highly flammable, non-native grass has spread to areas of the Catalina foothills that don't normally burn during wildfires.
However, Wilder also said a similar blaze could be much worse in future years if buffle grass growth isn't contained.
Going forward, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist David Samuhel said, the winds, along with a lack of rain, will continue to complicate situations for firefighting crews in the coming days.
“The strongest winds will occur during the afternoon and evening hours Tuesday and Wednesday,” he said. “Gusts over 30 mph will hamper firefighting efforts. Along with the gusty winds will come low relative humidity.”
Although temperatures will drop this week, compared to last week, no rain is expected any day soon, Samuhel said. AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jack Boston added that winds are expected to pick up to 10-20 mph by Friday and Saturday in the Pima County area.
More than 300 miles away in Greenlee County, Arizona, the Bringham Fire swelled to 14,625 acres on Monday after igniting on June 6. At only 5% contained, crews struggled with the blaze over the weekend as it tripled in size.
Elsewhere in southeastern Arizona, the Blue River Fire became the largest fire in the state over the weekend before crews made significant strides to curtail its spread. As of Monday morning, the blaze had burned 30,400 acres and was at 85% contained.
Farther north, near the Utah border, the Magnum Fire forced the closure of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, according to the National Park. At 24,708 acres burned, the fire is only 2% contained and has also forced a portion of Highway 89A to close as well.
The Arizona fires have burned nearly 85,000 total acres, but Boston said a cluster of smaller fires in northeastern New Mexico, southeastern Colorado and northwestern Oklahoma is particularly concerning.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center, there are 11 wildfires between the three states, totaling over 45,000 scorched acres.
"These are in areas of severe to extreme drought with low relative humidity and gusty winds," Boston said of the blazes. "These could multiply and spread rapidly over the next few days with little, if any, prospects for any rainfall."
By Mark Puleo, AccuWeather staff writer
Updated Jun. 15, 2020 3:06 PM
Copied
A firefighting aircraft dropped fire retardant on the Bighorn Fire burning near Tucson, Arizona, on June 11. The fire has scorched through thousands of acres.
The wildfire season in the Southwest picked up plenty of steam in recent days as the calendar inches toward the official start of summer on June 20. In parts of Arizona and New Mexico, that season is already fully ablaze.
Wildfire worries in the Catalina Mountains ignited in the first week of June when lightning sparked the Bighorn Fire. The blaze, which has consumed 14,675 acres and is 22% contained as of Monday, has been fed steadily by dry, windy conditions.
“The fire is burning in steep and rugged terrain in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness,” according to fire incident overview on InciWeb. “Due to the fire, Catalina State Park and several popular trails in the area are closed … The vegetation in the area is tinder-dry including tall grass, brush, dormant brush and hardwood slash.”
Among that vegetation has been the overgrowth of invasive buffel grass. Ben Wilder, director of Tumamoc Hill’s Desert Laboratory, told Tucson.com that the highly flammable, non-native grass has spread to areas of the Catalina foothills that don't normally burn during wildfires.
However, Wilder also said a similar blaze could be much worse in future years if buffle grass growth isn't contained.
Going forward, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist David Samuhel said, the winds, along with a lack of rain, will continue to complicate situations for firefighting crews in the coming days.
“The strongest winds will occur during the afternoon and evening hours Tuesday and Wednesday,” he said. “Gusts over 30 mph will hamper firefighting efforts. Along with the gusty winds will come low relative humidity.”
Although temperatures will drop this week, compared to last week, no rain is expected any day soon, Samuhel said. AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jack Boston added that winds are expected to pick up to 10-20 mph by Friday and Saturday in the Pima County area.
More than 300 miles away in Greenlee County, Arizona, the Bringham Fire swelled to 14,625 acres on Monday after igniting on June 6. At only 5% contained, crews struggled with the blaze over the weekend as it tripled in size.
Elsewhere in southeastern Arizona, the Blue River Fire became the largest fire in the state over the weekend before crews made significant strides to curtail its spread. As of Monday morning, the blaze had burned 30,400 acres and was at 85% contained.
Farther north, near the Utah border, the Magnum Fire forced the closure of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, according to the National Park. At 24,708 acres burned, the fire is only 2% contained and has also forced a portion of Highway 89A to close as well.
The Arizona fires have burned nearly 85,000 total acres, but Boston said a cluster of smaller fires in northeastern New Mexico, southeastern Colorado and northwestern Oklahoma is particularly concerning.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center, there are 11 wildfires between the three states, totaling over 45,000 scorched acres.
"These are in areas of severe to extreme drought with low relative humidity and gusty winds," Boston said of the blazes. "These could multiply and spread rapidly over the next few days with little, if any, prospects for any rainfall."
