A wildfire burning near Oracle continued to spread overnight, pushing east along its northern edge, fire officials said Thursday morning.
The Cody Fire started about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday and had grown to more than 1,300 acres by Thursday afternoon, Coronado National Forest officials said.
The Cody Fire started Wednesday afternoon in the Coronado National Forest near Oracle, about 40 miles north of Tucson.
“Wind activity is expected to push the fire quickly over the challenging terrain,” the Thursday morning update said. “Extreme fire behavior is expected again today due to the dry conditions, light and flashy fuels, and local fuel loading.”
Tankers and helicopters were used throughout the day as crews targeted hot spots and worked to establish containment lines, officials said.
An update on the fire had not been posted in time for the Star’s print deadline Thursday afternoon.
The blaze prompted an evacuation Wednesday night for areas in the eastern portion of the Oracle area. The evacuation area expanded Thursday to includes parts of San Manuel.
Jesus Vazquez helps his son, Leonel, 3, with a connect-the-dots picture Thursday inside the Red Cross shelter at Canyon Del Oro High School. Vazquez, his wife and their two sons evacuated Wednesday night due to the Cody Fire burning near their home in Oracle.
The Cody Fire was the second wildfire in the Oracle area in about a 24 hours period.
An evacuation site was opened at the Mammoth Community Center, 101 W. Fifth St. And the Red Cross set up a shelter in Oro Valley at Canyon Del Oro High School, 25 W. Calle Concordia.
Some road and hiking trails were closed in the area.
Evacuations: Zones 5, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 are under GO, meaning evacuate immediately. Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 12 are under SET status, as of 9 p.m. Wednesday, as are residents of San Manuel. San Manuel residents
In addition to the evacuation zones so far, other residents of the Oracle area and in San Manuel have been told to prepare for possible evacuation. Oracle, with a population of a few thousand, is about 40 miles north of Tucson.
The Cody Fire, which has zero containment Thursday morning, is east of the Cedar Fire and not connected with it, the Forest Service says. The cause is under investigation.
The smaller Cedar Fire started just before 5 p.m. Tuesday near Oracle. It also was located inside the Coronado National Forest.
The Cody Fire continues to burn near Oracle, East America Avenue, Oracle, Ariz., May 22, 2025.
Crews stopped the Cedar Fire’s progress Wednesday morning. It was about 10 acres in size and about 50 percent contained Thursday afternoon, officials said.
A Large Airtanker (LAT) dropping retardant on a wildfire in Oracle, Arizona on 5/20/2025.
