(UPDATED 6 p.m.) The Sawmill Fire burning north of Sonoita is now estimated to be 18,000 acres in size and is expected to grow as strong winds grounded air tankers on Tuesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, residents in the J-6 Ranch area south of Interstate 10 are being notified by law enforcement personnel this afternoon that there may be a need to evacuate because of the fire. Officials said residents there should be preparing in case an evacuation order is given.
The fire, which started Sunday south of Green Valley near Madera Canyon, blew northeastward across the northern foothills of the Santa Rita Mountains. The fire was estimated earlier today at about 17,000 to 20,000 acres, but the size was changed later in the day after an aerial survey, according to officials.
It crossed Arizona 83 in two locations Monday night, said Heidi Schewel, spokeswoman for Coronado National Forest.
That highway, which connects Interstate 10 to Sonoita remains closed. Forest roads and trails in the area are also closed temporarily.
Red flag and high-wind advisories are in place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today, according to the National Weather Service. Steady winds of 20-to-30 mph with higher gusts are expected. There will be higher relative humidity above 20 percent during the morning, dipping to the teen in the evening.
The high winds grounded the air tankers on Tuesday afternoon, officials said. High winds made slurry drops from the tankers ineffective, said Lt. John Cambra, a fire incident commander.
Three helicopters were still flying and dropping water, he said.
Cochise County officials said residents in the J-6 area south of I-10 should begin preparations for a possible evacuation, which might be needed if the winds change direction and push the fire closer to the homes. Residents should prepare a "go bag" with needed medications, insurance papers and other documents. They should also prepare to evacuate with their pets and make accommodations for larger animals.
"The fire is burning in “tall grass, riparian woodland, mesquite/oak brush, oak woodland, and pinyon-juniper fuel types,” according to Schewel.
No structures have burned so far, but homes, ranches and outbuildings, communications facilities, powerlines, and the Arizona National Scenic Trail remain at risk.
Crews are working to keep the fire south of Box Canyon Road, west of Forest Road 165, and east of Sawmill Canyon, said Tiffany Davila, a spokeswoman for the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management. The fire is 7 percent contained.
Anyone in the vicinity of the fire should be on alert, Schewel said Tuesday morning.
“The wind can change the speed and direction of a wildfire burning in flammable grass,” Schewel said.
“Communities in the general vicinity need to be aware that wildfire is happening in the area and winds can change direction and speed,” she said.
A multi-agency force of more than 300, aided by air tankers and helicopters dropping water and fire retardant, is fighting the blaze with a “full-suppression strategy,” said Schewel.
There were no reports of injuries from the wildfire, said Cambra.
The fire was moving at an angle, south-to-southeast, Cambra said.
The Sonoita-Elgin Fire District posted on Facebook Monday night that the fire swept through residences in the area’s Singing Valley, but no homes were lost.
About 100 people were evacuated Monday from the overall area, including 11 nuns from the Santa Rita Abbey, which is on a hillside near Gardner Canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains about 7 miles northwest of Sonoita. They were directed to an evacuation center at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Sonoita.
Most evacuees “got snapped up by friends and family in our small, close-knit community,” said fairgrounds manager Jennifer Rinaldi. Residents of Sonoita called and offered up extra rooms in their homes.
The nuns, who are cloistered and mostly silent, found room at a local bed and breakfast. “We fed them. They are great friends of ours,” Rinaldi said.
Officials shut down Arizona 83, which leads from Interstate 10 to Sonoita, in both directions. Motorists should be aware of possible closures and detours throughout the area. A Forest Service road over the Santa Ritas from Arizona 83 at Greaterville was also closed.
There are several service roads on the Coronado National Forest that will temporarily close, including the entrance to Box Canyon. Service roads on the Arizona National Scenic Trail include roads 4110 to 4072, said Schewel. The following trails have also closed: Cave Creek, Sawmill and Florida Canyon.
The closures are to limit traffic while firefighters work to suppress the fire, and the roads may re-open May 8 or earlier, depending on the fire, said Schewel.
Pre-evacuation notices so far included Greaterville and Old Sonoita Highway, Singing Hills Trail, Hidden Hills, Fish Canyon and Gardner Canyon roads, the Sonoita-Elgin Fire District said.
Ranch owners were alerted that they could move their horses and cattle to the fairgrounds in Sonoita, which will serve as an evacuation center for livestock as well as people.
Hotshot crews from Payson, Globe, Aravaipa, Blue Ridge and Prescott are assigned to the fire, which has three helicopters, five air tankers and 20 fire engines. The aircraft are dropping slurry and water.
The blaze was reported at noon Sunday, just north of Madera Canyon, about 10 miles southeast of Green Valley. Later, the fire moved into the “heavy timber and pretty treacherous terrain” of Madera Canyon, a part of the Coronado National Forest in the Santa Ritas.
The fire is believed to be human caused but the investigation is still ongoing, Cambra said.
