By Howard Fischer
Capitol Media Services
PHOENIX – The U.S. Supreme Court has quashed a last-ditch effort by the Arizona Libertarian Party to void a state statute that as designed — and succeeded — at keeping its candidates off the ballot.
Without comment the justices on Monday rejected a bid by attorney Oliver Hall from the Center for Competitive Democracy asking the court to look at the 2015 law that sharply increased — sometimes by a factor of 30 — the number of signatures needed for Libertarian candidates to qualify for the ballot. That decision leaves in place a 2019 ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that acknowledged the hurdle but suggested it is one of the party’s own making.
At the heart of the fight is that 2015 law that changed the number of signatures required for candidates to qualify for the ballot.
Prior to that, candidates for all recognized parties could get on the ballot simply by submitting petitions with the signatures of one-half of 1% of those registered with the party. In 2018 for the Libertarians, a statewide candidate would have had to collect around 160 names.
That year Republicans lowered the requirement to one-quarter of 1%. But they engineered it so the figure was based on all who could sign a candidate’s petition.
That added political independents to the base, who actually outnumber Democrats and run a close second to Republicans.
So in 2018 the minimum signature requirement for a Libertarian running statewide was 3,153, about 10% of all those actually registered as Libertarians.
This video was taken on June 17 with the camera pointed to the northwest near the Mount Lemmon Fire District. Video courtesy of Southern Arizona Timelapses.
Meanwhile the numbers for Republican and Democrat nominations remained close to what it always had been: 6,223 for the GOP and 5,801 for Democrats, both a small fraction of each party’s number of registered voters.
The move had political motives.
The record shows that J.D. Mesnard, then a GOP representative from Chandler and now a state senator, told colleagues that Republicans would have been elected to two congressional seats had it not been for what he said were Libertarian candidates in the same race siphoning off votes — votes he said otherwise would have gone to the GOP contenders.
“I can’t believe we wouldn’t see the benefit of this,” Mesnard said during a floor speech.
Hall argued the law had its desired effect: Only one Libertarian qualified for the ballot in 2016 — and none at all in 2018.
“Arizona has relegated the Arizona Libertarian Party to a state of electoral purgatory,” Hall wrote. “The party is ballot-qualified under Arizona law, but it cannot place its candidates on the ballot.”
All that, he said, is unconstitutional.
In its ruling last year, Judge Margaret McKeown of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals acknowledged that, for some offices, the party’s desire to have petitions signed only by party faithful could amount to 30% of registered Libertarians.
But she said Libertarians, just like Republicans and Democrats, are free to seek the signatures of just 1% of those who are eligible to sign petitions. That means not just Libertarians but more than a million Arizonans who are registered to vote as independents.
McKeown said it is the decision of the Libertarian Party — and not the Legislature — to allow only party members to participate in the primary.
Put simply, McKeown said the problem is of the party’s own making because of its exclusionary policy. And she said that voiding the 2015 law and going back to the prior law would “incentivize parties to have fewer registered members and therefore artificially reduce the signature requirements.”
Hall, however, said forcing Libertarian contenders to rely on the support of independents is unconstitutional, saying it amounts to “a form of compelled association.”
“Arizona has no legitimate interest in requiring that Libertarian candidates demonstrate support from independent voters who are not eligible to vote for them, and who have no reason or incentive to support the candidates’ effort to obtain (the party’s) nomination.
Photos: The Bighorn Fire in Coronado National Forest near Tucson
Bighorn Fire
Smoke from the Bighorn Fire colors the skies over the eastern slopes of the Santa Catalina and Rincon mountains, Cascabel, Ariz., June 30, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
Smoke from the Bighorn Fire puffs above the cottonwood-willow forest running along the San Pedro River valley, Cascabel, Ariz., June 30, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
Smoke from the Bighorn fire blows Northeast over the Catalina mountains on June 30, 2020 in Tucson, Ariz. Photo taken from E. Speedway Blvd.
Rebecca Sasnett / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
Bighorn Fire burn area on Samaniego Ridge in the Santa Catalina Mountains looking west toward Biosphere II on June 27, 2020.
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Bighorn Fire
Bulldozer clearing vegetation on the Northeast corner of the Bighorn Fire burning in and around the Santa Catalina Mountains on June 27, 2020.
inciweb.org
Bighorn Fire
Crews working the Bighorn Fire near Summerhaven, Ariz., in the Santa Catalina Mountains on June 23, 2020.
inciweb.org
Bighorn Fire
West winds push the smoke of the Bighorn Fire as it burns on the southeastern slopes of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Tucson, Ariz., June 26, 2020. The lights on the antennas of Mount Bigelow are just visible at right through the smoke.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
Flames from the Bighorn Fire climb over a ridge near Esperero Canyon lighting up a stand of saguaro as the blaze continues relentlessly to the east on the southern slopes of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Tucson, Ariz., June 23, 2020. Engine crews were monitoring the fire, which was largely beneficial and no threat to homes.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
Flames from the Bighorn Fire rise over a ridge near Esperero Canyon as the blaze moves east on the southern slopes of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Tucson, Ariz., June 23, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
Smoke from the Bighorn Fire covers the Santa Catalina Mountains with Sentinel Peak seen in the foreground Tuesday morning on June 23, 2020.
Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
From Ventana Canyon, at left, to just north of the end of Houghton Road, the Bighorn Fire stretches along the southern slopes of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Tucson, Ariz., June 20, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
Traffic on Sabino Canyon Road drives under the glow of he Bighorn Fire as it claims Ventana Canyon on the south slopes of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Tucson, Ariz., June 19, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
The Bighorn Fire burning in Ventana Canyon in the Santa Catalina Mountains behind downtown Tucson on June 18, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
Flames return to the southern slopes as the Bighorn Fire continues to burn through the heart of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Tucson, Ariz., June 18, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
Radio Ridge, near the top of the Santa Catalinas, is silhouetted by flames from the Bighorn Fire on the southern seen from near, Oracle, Ariz., June 18, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
Passersby use a wildlife exit along Oracle Road to get an elevated view the smoke billowing out of the northwestern portion of the Bighorn Fire, Oro Valley, Ariz., June 17, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
The Bighorn Fire lights up the ridge overlooking Saddlebrooke in the northwestern foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Tucson, Ariz., June 17, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
Smoke billows from the Santa Catalinas as the Bighorn Fire continues to burn as seen from Honey Bee Canyon Park in Oro Valley, on June 17, 2020.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
The same wind whipping the flags outside the Fairfield Inns & Suites on Oracle Road is whipping up the flames and smoke of the Bighorn Fire, Oro Valley, Ariz., June 17, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
Flames break through the smoke as a finger of the Bighorn Fire scorches its way through a canyon on the west side of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Tucson, Ariz., June 17, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
A stand of pines go up in flames as the Bighorn Fire pushes its way down a slope on the northern side of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Tucson, Ariz., June 16, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
A DC-10 VLAT makes a slurry drop near the observatory site and along the burnout of the 17 year-old Aspen Fire as crew fight to keep the Bighorn Fire being advancing on Mount Lemmon, Tucson, Ariz., June 16, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
The Bighorn Fire crest a ridge on the north side of the Santa Catalina Mountains as the day's steady winds push the flames closer to Mount Lemmon, Tucson, Ariz., June 16, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
A Sikorsky firefighting helicopter drops water along a ridge top as the flames from the Bighorn Fire work their way onto the northern slopes of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Tucson, Ariz., June 16, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire- Arizona
A DC-10 VLAT climbs out of the range after making a slurry drop between The Bighorn Fire and Mount Lemmon, Tucson, Ariz., June 16, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
A fire engine from Three Points Fire District west of Tucson passes a Pima County Sheriff Auxiliary Volunteer on its way up the Catalina Highway to Mount Lemmon on June 15, 2020. Several local fire districts supply equipment and firefighters to fight the Bighorn Fire.
Rebecca Sasnett / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire- Arizona
Sierra National Forest hotshot crew members talk about wind patterns while preparing for a possible change in direction from the Bighorn Fire on Mount Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains in Ariz. on June 14, 2020.
Rebecca Sasnett / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire- Arizona
A Sierra National Forest hotshot crew member measures the wind while preparing for a possible change in direction from the Bighorn Fire on Mount Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains in Ariz. on June 14, 2020.
Rebecca Sasnett / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire- Arizona
Smoke flows out of canyons in the Santa Catalina Mountains from the Bighorn Fire north of Tucson, Ariz. on June 14, 2020, as seen from Mount Lemmon Trail #5.
Rebecca Sasnett / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire- Arizona
Smoke from the Bighorn Fire burning in canyons in the Santa Catalina Mountains to the west, looms over homes in Summerhaven, Ariz. on June 14, 2020.
Rebecca Sasnett / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
A family of four horned owls perch on a utility pole near Tanque Verde and Houghton with the glow from the Bighorn Fire burning in the Santa Catalina Mountains behind them to north, Tucson, Ariz., June 14, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
The Bighorn Fire's northwestern front looms over homes as it burns into the central Santa Catalina Mountains, Oro Valley, Ariz., June 13, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
A stiff wind out of the southwest pushes the Bighorn Fire into the central Santa Catalina Mountains and toward homes, Oro Valley, Ariz., June 13, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
A Chinook helicopter carrying a water bucket flies north along the Pusch Ridge Wilderness as the Bighorn Fire pushes north-northeast into Romero Canyon east of Catalina State Park in Santa Catalina Mountains on Saturday, June 13, 2020.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
A air tanker flies above the the Bighorn Fire as smoke billows up near the mouth of Romero Canyon, on June 13, 2020.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
A DC-10 VLAT drops below the ridge line in his path to make a slurry drop as the battle moves to the northwest and crews work to keep the Bighorn Fire from spreading through Catalina State Park, Oro Valley, Ariz., June 11, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
Two firefighting helicopters maneuver around one another while recharging at a dip site as the battle moves to the north to keep the Bighorn Fire from spreading, Oro Valley, Ariz., June 11, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
An aerial tanker banks out of a smoky gully after making a slurry drop as the battle moves to the northwestern reaches of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Oro Valley, Ariz., June 11, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
A Chinook helicopter drops water on the line of flames advancing through grasslands at the northwestern foot of the Santa Catalinas as crews work to keep the Bighorn Fire from spreading through Catalina State Park, Oro Valley, Ariz., June 11, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
A firefighting Sikorsky helicopter calls it a night and flies for base as sun sets on the the battle to keep the Bighorn Fire from spreading, Oro Valley, Ariz., June 11, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
A McDonnell Douglas MD-80 firefighting air tanker emerges from heavy smoke from the Bighorn Fire burning near Catalina State Park in Oro Valley on June 12, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
People stand along Oracle Road just north of the entrance to Catalina State Park as the Bighorn Fire continues to burn in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness near the park, on June 12, 2020.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
People stand along Oracle Road just north of the entrance to Catalina State Park as the Bighorn Fire continues to burn at the base of Pusch Ridge near the park, on June 12, 2020.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
A Chinook helicopter drops water on the Bighorn Fire burning in Pusch Ridge, on June 12, 2020.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
A line of fire retardant draped along the Santa Catalina Mountains from Sunrise Drive above Cimarron Foothills Estates neighborhood as the Bighorn Fire burns for its seventh day in the western Santa Catalina mountain range, on June 12, 2020.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
A Chinook helicopter dumps water on the Bighorn Fire in the front range of the Santa Catalina Mountains in between granite faces already painted with pink fire retardant on Thursday, June 11, 2020.
Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
People stand along Oracle Road just north of the entrance to Catalina State Park as the Bighorn Fire continues to burn in the Pusch Ridge near the park, on June 12, 2020.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
People watch from Oracle Road just north of the entrance to Catalina State Park as Chinook helicopters drop water on the Bighorn Fire burning for its seventh day in Pusch Ridge very close to Catalina State Park on June 12, 2020.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
The Bighorn Fire inches over a ridge above several homes north of Coronado Drive west of Swan as night falls on the neighborhoods under evacuation and prepare to leave warnings in the Santa Catalina Mountain foothills, Tucson, Ariz., June 11, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
A DC-10 VLAT makes a last drop in the dying light over the homes in the area between Swan and Alvernon during the daylong struggle to keep the Bighorn Fire out of the neighborhoods of the Santa Catalina Mountain foothills, Tucson, Ariz., June 11, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
A Sikorsky firefighting helicopter heads back to the dip tank, overflying several homes under a smoking ridge in the upper reaches of the Santa Catalina foothills as crews fight to keep the Bighorn Fire out of several neighborhoods, Tucson, Ariz., June 11, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
A tanker skims over a ridge while dropping slurry just west of Craycroft during the struggle to keep the Bighorn Fire out of the neighborhoods of the Santa Catalina Mountain foothills, Tucson, Ariz., June 11, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
Residents in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood north of Tucson watch an air tanker drop fire retardant on the Bighorn Fire near Finger Rock Canyon the Santa Catalina Mountains on June 11, 2020. Photo by Rebecca Sasnett / Arizona Daily Star
Rebecca Sasnett / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
A hot shot fire crew fighting the Bighorn Fire hikes on ridge near Finger Rock Canyon in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, Ariz. on June 11, 2020. Photo by Rebecca Sasnett / Arizona Daily Star
Rebecca Sasnett / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
Pink fire retardant settles over a ridge near Finger Rock Canyon in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, Ariz. on June 11, 2020.
Rebecca Sasnett / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
A helicopter dumps water along an area to combat the Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains on June 11, 2020.
Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
Qin Chen talks with Tom Lemmons, of the Pima County Sheriff's Office Auxiliary, about "Go" orders given to evacuate her home in the Cobblestone Estates neighborhood due to the Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains on June 11, 2020. Lemmons asked residents if they planned to evacuate or stay in their home.
Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
Keith Lencke of the Blue Ridge Hotshots watches the air attack on the Bighorn Fire in the Cobblestone Estates neighborhood near the Santa Catalina Mountains on June 11, 2020.
Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
People watch the Bighorn Fire from La Encantada at Campbell and Skyline on June 11, 2020.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
A UH-60 firefighting helicopter picks up a bucket of water at Immaculate Heart High School as another helicopter drops water on the Bighorn Fire burning in Pima Canyon in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson on June 11, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
A Chinook helicopter refills with water at Imaculate Heart High School near Magee and Oracle while fighting the Bighorn Fire burning in Pima Canyon in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson on June 11, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
A jet tanker drops retardant as it flies through Pontatoc Canyon as wildfire crews continue to fight the Bighorn Fire which has spread along the western side of the Santa Catalinas, on June 11, 2020.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
An air tanker drops fire retardant as wildfire crews continue to fight the Bighorn Fire which has spread along the western side of the Santa Catalinas, on June 11, 2020.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
A helicopter carries water over an area of the Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains in the Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 10, 2020. The fire has now burned 3,277 acres since it started on Friday, June 5, from a lightning strike in the Pusch Ridge area of the Catalina Mountains.
Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
From alongside Campbell Avenue, a couple gets photos of the Bighorn Fire breaking onto the southern slopes of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Tucson, Ariz., June 10, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
In the last of the day's light a helicopter makes a last minute water drop on a line of flames from the Bighorn Fire moving down the southern slopes of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Tucson, Ariz., June 10, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
The Bighorn Fire breaks onto the southern slopes of the Santa Catalina Mountains and burns above a pair of homes in the foothills just west of the Finger Rock Trailhead, Tucson, Ariz., June 10, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
A chinook helicopter drops a load of water on the Bighorn Fire as is moves into the top of Finger Rock Canyon and up Mount Kimball, on June 10, 2020.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
A Smokey Bear Hotshot walks along Finger Rock Canyon trail as smoke billows from the Bighorn Fire further up the canyon, on June 10, 2020.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
Adam Hutton with the Smokey Bear Hotshots of Ruidoso, New Mexico tosses away brush being cut near the mouth of Finger Rock Canyon as a precaution against the growing Bighorn Fire being fought in the Santa Catalina Mountain Range, on June 10, 2020.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
Hotshots with Smokey Bear and Blue Ridge talk near the Finger Rock Canyon trailhead as smoke billows from the Bighorn Fire billows in the distance, on June 10, 2020.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
Crew members with the Smokey Bear Hotshots from Ruidoso, New Mexico cut line near the mouth of Finger Rock Canyon as a precaution against the growing Bighorn Fire being fought in the Santa Catalina Mountain Range, on June 10, 2020.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
A driver heads south on Campbell Ave. as smoke billows from the Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains in the Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 10, 2020.
Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
The Bighorn Fire burning in Pima Canyon and Finger Rock Canyon in the Santa Catalina Mountains, Coronado National Forest north of Tucson, Ariz., June 10, 2020.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
Heavy fuels burning above Finger Rock Canyon produce think black smoke during the Bighorn Fire within the Santa Catalina Mountains in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 10, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
Tinder-dry vegetation bursts into flames above during the Bighorn Fire burning above Finger Rock Canyon within the Santa Catalina Mountains in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 10, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
The hazy remnants of the Bighorn Fire hang low in Pima Canyon within the Santa Catalina Mountains in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on the morning of June 10, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
The Bighorn Fire burns on the East side of beloved hiking area Pima Canyon within the Santa Catalina Mountains in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson, late on June 9, 2020. The lightning-caused fire increased slightly, to 2,556 acres, but is still but still only 10% contained.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn fire
A helicopter flies along the Catalinas on its way to Rose Canyon Lake while fighting the Bighorn fire in Pima Canyon, on June 9, 2020.
Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
Dark smoke from heavy fuels in the upper elevations of Pima Canyon obscure the rising sun during the Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 9, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
The Bighorn Fire glows as it burns into Pima Canyon in the western reaches of the Santa Catalina Mountains above Tucson, Ariz., just after sunset June 8, 2020. During its third day, the lightning sparked wildfire chewed a wind driven path east and higher into the range.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
A helicopter drops a bucket of water on the Bighorn Fire burning into Pima Canyon inside the Coronado National Forest north of Tucson, Ariz. on June 8, 2020. The lighting-caused Bighorn Fire, as of Monday June 8, has spread to over 2,300 acres and is 10% contained, according to Oro Valley Police department via Twitter.
Rebecca Sasnett / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
A long nighttime exposure of fire burning in Pusch Ridge accentuates the flames of the Bighorn Fire burning in the Santa Catalina Mountains in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 7, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
A Chinook heavy-lift helicopter with water bucket trailing behind speeds back to the dip tank during the Bighorn Fire burning along Pusch Ridge of the Santa Catalina Mountains in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 7, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
Smoke envelops a granite spire during the Bighorn Fire burning along Pusch Ridge of the Santa Catalina Mountains in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 7, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
A large air tanker drops fire retardant on the top of Pusch Ridge during the Bighorn Fire burning in the Santa Catalina Mountains in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 7, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
At the Bighorn Fire burning along Pusch Ridge of the Santa Catalina Mountains in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 7, 2020. Photo by Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
People watch the aerial ballet of helicopters and air tankers on the Bighorn Fire from the safety of Oro Valley Marketplace on June 7, 2020. The Bighorn Fire is burning along Pusch Ridge of the Santa Catalina Mountains in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 7, 2020. Photo by Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
A Chinook heavy-lift helicopter trailing a water bucket flies past canyons choked with smoke during the Bighorn Fire burning along Pusch Ridge of the Santa Catalina Mountains in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 7, 2020. Photo by Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
A heavy-lift Chinook helicopter takes off from the Bighorn Fire heli-base on Oracle Road during the Bighorn Fire burning along Pusch Ridge of the Santa Catalina Mountains in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 7, 2020. Photo by Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
An air tanker drops retardant the Bighorn Fire burning along Pusch Ridge of the Santa Catalina Mountains in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 7, 2020. Photo by Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire - Arizona
A lead plane, lower left, guides a large air tanker during a retardant drop at the Bighorn Fire burning along Pusch Ridge of the Santa Catalina Mountains in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 7, 2020. Photo by Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
A huge DC-10 VLAT (Very Large Air Tanker) pulls up after dropping a load of fire retardant in a neighborhood just south of Catalina State Park during the Bighorn Fire burning along Pusch Ridge in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 6, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
Smoke from the Bighorn Fire shrouds granite formations of Pusch Ridge in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 6, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
A heavy-lift helicopter drops water on the line of the Bighorn Fire burning along Pusch Ridge in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 6, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
A Sikorsky heavy-lift helicopter finishes a drop at dusk on the Bighorn Fire burning along Pusch Ridge in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 6, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
The Huey helicopter passes along a ridge on the Bighorn Fire burning along Pusch Ridge in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 6, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
Flames fanned by canyon winds emerge from the smoke during the Bighorn Fire burning along Pusch Ridge in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 6, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
Smoke shrouds granite formations the Bighorn Fire burning along Pusch Ridge in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 6, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
The Bighorn Fire burning about La Reserve along Pusch Ridge in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 6, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
A DC-10 Very Large Air Tanker drops on the Bighorn Fire burning along Pusch Ridge in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 6, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
A heavy lift helicopter passes through the Bighorn Fire burning along Pusch Ridge in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 6, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
A DC-10 Very Large Air Tanker drops thousands of gallons of retardant at the base of the Bighorn Fire burning above La Reseve along Pusch Ridge in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 6, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
The Bighorn Fire burning along Pusch Ridge in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 6, 2020.
Courtesy of John Miranda
Bighorn Fire
An air tanker drops fire retardant to create a fire line behind homes (bottom center) in Or Valley during the Bighorn Fire burning along Pusch Ridge in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 6, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
Helicopters drop water on the Bighorn Fire burning along Pusch Ridge in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 6, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
Helicopters drop water on the Bighorn Fire burning along Pusch Ridge in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 6, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
Helicopters drop water on the Bighorn Fire burning along Pusch Ridge in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 6, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire
The Bighorn Fire burning along Pusch Ridge in Coronado National Forest north of Tucson on June 6, 2020.
Rick Wiley / Arizona Daily Star
Bighorn Fire near Oro Valley
A fire is burning in the Pusch Ridge area east of Oro Valley on Saturday. The fire was started by lightning for storms that moved through Friday night. Ground crews and helicopters are fighting the blaze, which is not spreading rapidly.
Courtesy of the Coronado National Forest
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