Firefighters are using closed roads and natural barriers to help slow the spread of a wildfire burning in the Catalina Mountains, officials said Tuesday.
The Burro Fire had burned 21,035 acres of grass, brush and trees in the Santa Catalina Mountains and near Redington Pass as of Tuesday night.
Jay Lusher, operations section chief, called Tuesday a very successful day. The fire is still zero percent contained, though that doesn’t mean no effort has been made on the fire, he said. Helicopter assets helped keep areas in check Tuesday, and Lusher said he expects an increase in containment in coming days.
Fire crews are working to improve protective barriers around the fire, focusing on strengthening defense lines and finalizing contingency plans for protecting buildings, incident commander Bea Day said in a press release Tuesday morning.
Dry vegetation, high temperatures and erratic winds have contributed to the fire’s spread, Day said. The weather around Tucson was expected to stay hot and dry for the next few days.
Catalina Highway and a 12-mile stretch of Redington Pass Road are closed. Campers, hikers and the small mountaintop community of Summerhaven have been evacuated.
There were 594 people assigned to the fire as of Tuesday night.
The fire started Friday. Its cause is under investigation, though officials have said lightning from dry thunderstorms had been a concern in the area.
