UPDATE: Bighorn Fire passes 7,000 acres, only 10% contained

The Bighorn Fire continued to grow Thursday, threatening about 850 homes around Oro Valley and the Catalina Foothills β€” a level of destruction that would constitute a major disaster, the federal government said.

The blaze, which had burned 6,200 acres as of Thursday night, forced local authorities to issue mandatory evacuations for about 200 residences, sending Pima County sheriff’s personnel door to door in several Catalina Foothills neighborhoods.

The Pima County Office of Emergency Management and the Sheriff’s Department issued the evacuation order shortly after 10 a.m. Thursday for the northernmost homes in the area between North Alvernon Way and North First Avenue, north of East Ina Road.

Deputy James Allerton, spokesman for the Sheriff’s Department, said the people in that area are being told to leave immediately, as fire crews set back-burns to clear away vegetation between them and the advancing blaze.

Authorities also expanded the so-called β€œset” area, where residents are urged to voluntarily leave or be prepared to evacuate if conditions change. That area now extends north of Ina from First to Alvernon and north of the Skyline Road alignment from Alvernon east to Sabino Canyon Road.

Parts of Oro Valley, including all areas east of Oracle Road from north of Magee Road to Catalina State Park, were previously placed in the β€œset” stage.

For more information about Pima County emergency alerts go to emergencyalerts.pima.gov.

Federal help

FEMA has authorized federal funds to help the state battle the Bighorn Fire.

Arizona requested the federal assistance Thursday and received approval for a Fire Management Assistance Grant promptly.

The grant provides federal funding for up to 75% of eligible firefighting costs, including expenses for field camps, equipment use, materials, supplies and mobilization, and demobilization activities.

The Bighorn Fire was sparked by lightning June 5. Since then, crews have managed to contain about 10% of the blaze, mostly along its southwestern flank, closest to the ignition point near Pusch Ridge, said Adam Jarrold, spokesman for the multiagency team fighting the fire.

No structures had been lost as of Thursday, but the fire continued to burn in Pima and Finger Rock canyons and along the ridgeline above a growing swath of the Catalina Foothills. Fire activity diminished on Thursday because of the rocky terrain, officials said.

Jarrold said the terrain is too steep to safely send in ground crews, so the fire was largely being attacked from above.

Large air tankers dumped bright red fire retardant on the ridges below Finger Rock as Jarrold and Allerton briefed reporters late Thursday morning.

The air attack includes at least five fixed-wing aircraft and seven helicopters of various sizes, Jarrold said. Some helicopters were filling their water buckets from a container situated near Immaculate Heart School in Oro Valley.

With 100-degree highs and low humidity expected for the next few days, conditions are not expected to immediately improve.

β€œIn this particular situation, weather and topography are not our friends,” Jarrold said.

Watch now: Chinook helicopter water drop on Bighorn Fire
Evacuation zone

Allerton didn’t know how many homes had been evacuated or when or whether more people might get the β€œgo” order.

A cooling shelter for evacuees was set up at Canyon del Oro High School, 25 W. Calle Concordia, in Oro Valley. The Pima Animal Care Center said it can house the pets of any residents who evacuate.

For anyone worried about leaving their property unattended, Allerton said, deputies would continue to patrol the evacuation zone.

β€œWe will be maintaining a presence in the area as much as we can,” he said.

By Thursday afternoon, only one evacuee had checked into the Red Cross shelter set up in the school’s gym.

The 65-year-old woman, who declined to give her name, said she left her apartment complex on the east side of Oracle Road near Pusch Ridge at about 2 p.m. after she heard residents were being encouraged to evacuate. She planned to find a hotel for the night, but for the moment she was enjoying the shelter’s hospitality – and its air conditioning.

She wasn’t sure when she’d get to return home. β€œI don’t think I’m going to go back if they’re not recommending it,” she said. β€œIt’s nerve-wracking when you can’t go to the place you’re most familiar with.”

Within a few hours of opening at about 10 a.m. Thursday, the shelter was already well-stocked with donations from local businesses and individuals, who dropped off items ranging from cases of bottled water to homemade masks.

A local Home Depot β€œbrought a truckload,” said Doc Morgan, the shelter site manager for the Red Cross.

Though only one person had shown up so far, Morgan and company were ready for a much bigger crowd. He said they were told by authorities that 287 homes were under a mandatory evacuation order, and another 3,800 homes might have to be cleared out if the fire continued to spread.

Extra forces

More than 400 people were fighting the fire as of Thursday.

A Type 1 management team has assumed command of firefighting efforts. The team has more resources available to it and is typically assigned to complex firefighting situations, according to officials.

The extra forces are expected to include more elite hotshot crews β€” six are already assigned to the fire β€” engine crews and support workers, Jarrold said.

On Thursday morning, the Golder Ranch Fire District north of Tucson said it was sending two trucks and eight wildland firefighters.

The federal wildfire control system has designated the Arizona-New Mexico area, including the Bighorn Fire, as one of the nation’s top two firefighting priorities and has issued a call for firefighters from other states to join the efforts.

β€œAs of today, the Southwest is one of the nation’s top two priorities for allocating firefighting resources,” Cindy Wolfe, a spokeswoman for the Bighorn Fire, said Wednesday.

Air quality alert

Meanwhile, Pima County Department of Environmental Quality officials issued an air pollution health watch Thursday after monitoring stations detected increased levels of ozone and particulates due to wildfire smoke.

Children, older people and those with heart or lung issues are urged to stay indoors if they smell smoke. The conditions were expected to repeat on Friday, June 12, and possibly through the weekend.

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Contact reporter Carol Ann Alaimo at 573-4138 or calaimo@tucson.com. On Twitter: @StarHigherEd.