Photos: The Bighorn Fire burn scar in the Santa Catalina Mountains
The Bighorn Fire started on June 5, 2020, after a lightning strike on Pusch Ridge in the Santa Catalina Mountains inside Coronado National Forest east of Oro Valley. The fire raged through the entire mountain range, burning the front range down into Pima Canyon, Finger Rock Canyon, Esperero Canyon and upper Sabino Canyon. It continued into the drainage below Mt. Lemmon – Cargodera and Romero Canyons. It burned into the grasslands in the foothills north and east of the range. There was little left untouched. Thanks to the efforts of nearly 1,000 personnel, thousands of gallons of fire retardant and a little rainfall, the fire was declared 100-percent contained on July 23, 2020. It burned 119,978 acres.
Bighorn Fire Burn Scar, hiking trails
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Gregg Sasek, dispersed recreation manager for the Coronado National Forest Santa Catalina Ranger District, demonstrates how ground along the Palisade Trail has been burnt out making it easy for hikers to sink a leg into the soil, on Aug. 12, 2020. Various dangers are still being accessed throughout the Coronado National Forest as a result of the Bighorn Fire. Pool photo by Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire Burn Scar, hiking trails
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Santa Catalina District Ranger CJ Woodard looks at the burn scar caused by the Bighorn Fire along the Palisade Trail in the Santa Catalina Ranger District of the Coronado National Forest, on Aug. 12, 2020. Pool photo by Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire Burn Scar, hiking trails
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A scorched tree along the Palisade Trail in the Santa Catalina Ranger District of the Coronado National Forest, on Aug. 12, 2020. Dangers including burnt vegetation, unstable trees and loose soil as a result of the Bighorn Fire are being accessed by the Forest Service before trails in the area are opened to the public. Pool photo by Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire Burn Scar, hiking trails
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A tree uprooted by burnt roots and soil as a result of the Bighorn Fire along the Palisade Trail in the Santa Catalina Ranger District of the Coronado National Forest, on Aug. 12, 2020. Pool photo by Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire Burn Scar, hiking trails
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Gregg Sasek, dispersed recreation manager with the Coronado National Forest Santa Catalina Ranger District, leads media and other Forest Service workers along the Palisade Trail to showcase various types of damage done to wilderness area as a result of the Bighorn Fire, on Aug. 12, 2020. Pool photo by Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire Burn Scar, hiking trails
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A scorched tree along the Palisade Trail in the Santa Catalina Ranger District of the Coronado National Forest, on Aug. 12, 2020. Dangers including burnt vegetation, unstable trees and loose soil as a result of the Bighorn Fire are being accessed by the Forest Service before trails in the area are opened to the public. Pool photo by Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire Burn Scar, hiking trails
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Ponderosa Pines charred by the Bighorn Fire stand along the Palisade Trail in the Santa Catalina Ranger District of the Coronado National Forest, on Aug. 12, 2020. Pool photo by Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire Burn Scar, hiking trails
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A tree uprooted and burnt as a result of the Bighorn Fire along the Palisade Trail in the Santa Catalina Ranger District of the Coronado National Forest, on Aug. 12, 2020. Pool photo by Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire Burn Scar, hiking trails
Updated
Gregg Sasek, dispersed recreation manager with the Coronado National Forest Santa Catalina Ranger District, carries a combi-tool (a woodland fire tool which combines a shovel and pick) as he leads media and other Forest Service personnel along the Palisade Trail to showcase various types of damage done to wilderness area as a result of the Bighorn Fire, on Aug. 12, 2020. Pool photo by Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire Burn Scar, hiking trails
Updated
Forest Service personnel and media walk through a burn scar caused by the Bighorn Fire along the Palisade Trail in the Santa Catalina Ranger District of the Coronado National Forest, on Aug. 12, 2020. Pool photo by Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire Burn Scar, hiking trails
Updated
Forest Service personnel and media walk through a burn scar caused by the Bighorn Fire along the Palisade Trail in the Santa Catalina Ranger District of the Coronado National Forest, on Aug. 12, 2020. Pool photo by Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire Burn Scar, hiking trails
Updated
Gregg Sasek, dispersed recreation manager with the Coronado National Forest Santa Catalina Ranger District, leads media and other Forest Service workers along the Palisade Trail to showcase various types of damage done to wilderness area as a result of the Bighorn Fire, on Aug. 12, 2020. Pool photo by Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire Burn Scar, hiking trails
Updated
A fern sprouts from the soil in a burnt out area along the Palisade Trail in the Santa Catalina Ranger District of the Coronado National Forest, on Aug. 12, 2020. Pool photo by Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire Burn Scar, hiking trails
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Gregg Sasek, dispersed recreation manager with the Coronado National Forest Santa Catalina Ranger District, checks tree tops for signs of burn while leading media and other Forest Service workers along the Palisade Trail to showcase various types of damage done to wilderness area as a result of the Bighorn Fire, on Aug. 12, 2020. Pool photo by Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire Burn Scar, hiking trails
Updated
A burn scar along the Palisade Trail in the Santa Catalina Ranger District of the Coronado National Forest, on Aug. 12, 2020. Pool photo by Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire Burn Scar, hiking trails
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A tree base scorched by the Bighorn Fire along the Palisade Trail in the Santa Catalina Ranger District of the Coronado National Forest, on Aug. 12, 2020. The weakening of the base makes it easier for trees to fall and are a serious danger to hikers. Pool photo by Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire Burn Scar, hiking trails
Updated
Gregg Sasek, dispersed recreation manager with the Coronado National Forest Santa Catalina Ranger District, walks by a "leaner" (an uprooted tree hung up on another tree or object) as he leads media and other Forest Service workers along the Palisade Trail to showcase various types of damage done to wilderness area as a result of the Bighorn Fire, on Aug. 12, 2020. Pool photo by Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire Burn Scar, hiking trails
Updated
A burn scar from the Bighorn Fire along a hilltop near the Palisade Trail in the Santa Catalina Ranger District of the Coronado National Forest, on Aug. 12, 2020. Pool photo by Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire Burn Scar, hiking trails
Updated
Scorched pine needles along the Palisade Trail in the Santa Catalina district of the Coronado National Forest, on Aug. 12, 2020. Pool photo by Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
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Bighorn Fire scar north of Summerhaven, Ariz, right, on July 15, 2020. The Mt. Lemmon Fire station is top center in the photo.
Bighorn Fire
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Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains below Summerhaven, Ariz, right, on July 15, 2020.
Bighorn Fire
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Bighorn Fire scar in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Summerhaven (lower right) on July 15, 2020.
Bighorn Fire
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Bighorn Fire scar in the Santa Catalina Mountains below the town of Summerhaven on July 15, 2020.
Bighorn Fire
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The Mt. Lemmon Control Road cuts through the Bighorn Fire scar on the north side of the Santa Catalina Mountains near Oracle, Ariz., on July 15, 2020.
Bighorn Fire
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Bighorn Fire scar below Mt. Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains on July 15, 2020.
Bighorn Fire
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Bighorn Fire scar area: Cañada del Oro basin looking south at Samaniego Ridge in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson on July 1, 2020. The summit of Mt Lemmon is at left.
Bighorn Fire
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The Bighorn Fire scar area shown looking from East Ski Run toward Oracle Ridge, left, and Sanmaniego Ridge, right, in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson.
Bighorn Fire
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Bighorn Fire scar area: South face of Mt Kimball on July 3, 2020, in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson.
Bighorn Fire
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Bighorn Fire scar area: Regional Flood Control Staff installing a new real-time ALERT rainfall monitoring site in the burn area in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson in July, 2020. These are the backbone of the flash flood warning system.
Bighorn Fire
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Charred debris from the Bighorn Fire moves down the Cañada del Oro Wash after a monsoon storm on July 15, 2020.
Bighorn Fire
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Charred debris from the Bighorn Fire moves down the Cañada del Oro Wash after a monsoon storm on July 15, 2020.
Rick Wiley
Photo editor
Josh Galemore
Photojournalist
As featured on
With the road to Mount Lemmon closed for the summer, try some of these Southern Arizona outdoor destinations.
Forest Service officials say they're not sure if all the Catalina Mountains' hiking trails can be cleared of hazardous debris by Nov. 1, when their forest closure order is scheduled to expire. The dangers were caused by the Bighorn Fire.
Federal Aviation Administration said it couldn't prove that a drone operator it investigated was the actual operator of a drone that illegally flew into Bighorn Fire air space, seriously hampering firefighting efforts.
