Fire on Mount Lemmon grows to 40-50 acres

Crews from the U.S. Forest Service's Coronado National Forest continued their efforts Thursday evening to contain a new fire on Mount Lemmon.

Now dubbed the Molino 3 fire, the fire started just after 5 p.m. at the 4.5 mile marker of Mount Lemmon Highway.

The estimated size of the fire, visible from parts of Tucson, has increased to approximately 40-50 acres. 

However, according to a social media post on the agency's Facebook page, fire activity decreased after sunset, and minimal movement is expected overnight, due to an increase in relative humidity throughout the evening.

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The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Residents and visitors in the area are encouraged to consult the interactive Fire and Smoke map at fire.airnow.gov for real-time smoke conditions.

Authorities are asking that people avoid the affected area and exercise caution due to increased firefighting traffic on the road.