A Chinook helicopter drops water on the line of flames advancing through brush at the base of Pusch Ridge in Oro Valley as fire crews work to keep the Bighorn Fire from spreading through Catalina State Park on Friday June 11, 2020.

 Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star

Strong winds from the southwest today will push the Bighorn Fire to the northeast, fire officials said this morning.

Today fire crews are focusing on the area north of the fire, hoping to keep the fire at bay, said Travis Mabery of the Southwest Incident Management Team.

Movement towards Catalina State Park yesterday afternoon forced the evacuation of about 60 homes, but crews have been working hard to protect that area, Mabery said.

"It was a good night for us in securing that piece," he said.

Firefighters will continue working to secure a fire line between the Catalina State Park and Golder Ranch area before expected triple-digit temperatures cause an increase in fire activity, Coronado National Forest officials said.  

This work consists of crews scraping away dry grass and brush to create a break line between the blaze and its progress to other vegetation.

There was similar good news for the northern edge of Tucson's Catalina Foothills, where several upscale neighborhoods were evacuated on Wednesday but residents were allowed to return home late Friday afternoon.

"The good news is very little movement there" Mabery said.

Still, crews are monitoring both areas heavily and the threat of the fire moving remains in both areas, he said.

The blaze is expected to continue growing upslope in upper Ventana and Romero canyons towards Window Rock. Crews are working to identify the best areas to stop the fire's progression, forest officials said.

Tucsonans will still see plenty of smoke today, and the fire will continue to grow with strong winds to the southwest that will push the fire to the northeast. Crews also will continue dropping fire retardant to slow the fire's progress.

While smoke is highly visible, the Oro Valley Police Department warns drivers that stopping on Oracle Road to view the fire is dangerous - both for drivers and for the fire equipment moving through the area.

Auxiliary volunteers with the Pima County Sheriff's Department created six checkpoints along Old Ina Road to keep residents updated about the fire. If an evacuation order is in effect, they'll be able to direct authorities to those residents to warn them. 

As of noon Saturday, the following warnings for residents remain in place:

  • Authorities have issued an evacuate notice for residents in the area of East Golder Ranch Drive and East Rollins Road.
  • The surrounding area south of East Hawser Street and east of North Lago del Oro Parkway, including Catalina State Park are under a "SET alert notice, in which residents are urged to voluntarily leave or be prepared to evacuate if conditions change.
  • The SET evacuation notices are also in place for portions of the Catalina Foothills and Oro Valley.
Bighorn Fire map: Track boundaries of the blaze near Tucson

Soaring temperatures Friday made the day a tough one for firefighters in full gear and packs, Mabery said. Some suffered ill effects from the heat, but nothing serious, he said.

"Everyone is good, everyone is back on the line," he said.

Although slightly cooler temperatures are forecast in coming days, it still will be over 100 degrees.

The heat "takes a toll on you, that's for sure," he said.

There are 550 people fighting the fire.

The fire has grown to 10,367 acres with only 10 percent of it contained.

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group estimates it will be contained June 25, but that depends on the wind and other conditions.

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