Bighorn Fire Grows To 17,492 Acres; Mount Lemmon, Summerhaven Under Evacuation

The lightning-caused Bighorn Fire which started on June 5 in the Santa Catalina Mountains continues to burn. Authorities issued evacuation orders of Mount Lemmon and Summerhaven on Tuesday, June 16.

Residents under evacuation are being asked to head south on Catalina Highway and leave the mountain immediately. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has gone door to door informing residents. An evacuation center is open to those in need at Sahuaro High School, 545 N. Camino Seco.

The specified boundaries of the evacuation zone are Mount Lemmon and Mount Bigelow north of Organization Ridge Road, including Summerhaven. The evacuation notice was issued Tuesday just before 1:30 p.m.

Currently there are 729 people working the fire, including seven hotshot crews, eight Type 2 hand crews, 27 Type 3 engines, one Type 4 engine, 25 Type 6 engines, four Type 1 helicopters, one Type 2 helicopter, two Type 3 helicopters, nine water tenders and six bulldozers.

As of Wednesday morning, June 17, the Bighorn Fire has burned more than 17,492 acres and remains at 40 percent containment.

READY, SET, GO

Ready, Set, Go! is a nationwide program that educates residents about proactive measures to take before an emergency and actions to follow when communities are threatened.

If your area is set to“READY” you should prepare for threats to your community.
If your area is put on“SET” mode, there is significant danger and you should consider voluntarily evacuating.
When your area is put on“GO!” you should leave the area immediately.

The areas under a “GO!” order are:

- Mount Lemmon/Mount Bigelow north of Organization Ridge Road, including Summerhaven.

The areas under a “SET” order are:

- WILLOW CANYON: All homes and businesses east of Organization Ridge Road, south of Mount Lemmon Highway and west Willow Canyon.
- GOLDER RANCH: All homes and businesses west of Catalina State Park, south of Hawser Street and west of Sutherland Wash.
- ORO VALLEY: All homes and businesses east of Oracle Road, north of Magee Road and south of Broken Rock Drive.
- FOOTHILLS I: All homes and businesses north of East Ina Road, east of North First Avenue and west of Alvernon Way.
- FOOTHILLS II: All homes and businesses east of Alvernon Way, north of Skyline Drive and west of Rattlesnake Canyon Road.

The areas under a “READY” order are:

- None

HELP AND RESOURCES

An evacuation center is open at Sahuaro High School, 545 N. Camino Seco.

Click here for a list of resources available to residents and firefighters.

Large animal sheltering is being done at Rillito Racetrack, 4502 North 1st Avenue in Tucson.

Pima Animal Care Center is also housing pets, the after-hours number is 520-724-5900 and press 4. The daytime line is 520-724-5961. More information can be found HERE.

STAY INFORMED

Residents are urged to sign up to receive emergency alerts at myalerts.pima.gov.

Visit pima.gov/bighorn for the most up-to-date information on evacuation notices and county resources.

If you have animals and are affected by the evacuation notices, the Pima Animal Care Center has plans to board animals.

You can sign up for Oro Valley’s Code RED Emergency Alert System at https://public.coderedweb.com/CNE/en-US/BF3109484564.

Questions from residents in the area should be directed to 351-FIRE (3473)

Bighorn Fire information can be found HERE.

Pima County Emergency Alert information can be found HERE.

CLOSURES & RESTRICTIONS

Catalina Highway is closed to the public, but open to residents and business owners.

Catalina State Park is closed, as is Sabino and Bear canyons. Most trails have also been closed. You can view the entire closure order HERE.

Large portions of the Coronado National Forest, Santa Catalina Ranger District near the fire are restricted. View the closure order and map HERE.

A temporary flight restriction is in place over the fire area.

Two unlawful drone incursions have occurred since the fire ignited on June 5th. Reminder: illegally interfering with the efforts of firefighters to extinguish a fire. Doing so can result in a significant fine or a mandatory court appearance.