The Contreras Fire, burning southwest of Tucson, continued to grow Saturday with no containment, destroying four non-scientific buildings at the Kitt Peak National Observatory.
Structure protection crews remained at the observatory and the Pan Tak community, which is northeast of the fire, the news release said. Initial assessment indicates that all the domes and other scientific facilities have been protected from the fire, which made a fast run to the observatory early Friday. Four non-scientific buildings on the west side of the observatory property were lost in the fire, officials said.
βHeroic action was taken ... they were able to save all the telescopes,β a fire official said at a Saturday briefing about crews assigned to the observatory.
Structure protection crews have also successfully placed defensible lines around all remaining structures, the news release said. Assessments of the observatory site, operated by the National Science Foundationβs NOIRLab, will commence Saturday if conditions allow for safe entry into the area.
βWe are in close contact with the NSFβs NOIRLab leadership, who are in direct contact with those leading the firefighting efforts,β said University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins in a statement. The UA has a telescope and other facilities at Kitt Peak. βThey are providing updates as information becomes available. We are grateful to all who are working to fight the fire and help protect the facilities while keeping everyone safe. We are also proud of our staff who did their best to prepare our facilities before they were ordered to leave the mountain on Wednesday.β
Aerial resources are expected to remain over the fire all day on Saturday if lightning is not present in the area, a news release from the Eastern Area Incident Management Team said, which is managing the fire on the Tohono Oβodham Reservation. Fire behavior remains typical with an increased movement upslope, due to pushed winds and extremely dry fuels made up of brush and short grass.
On the north end of the fire, fire behavior will be monitored closely with the addition of extra crews and engines. There will be an opportunity for direct attack by crews and air support in this area due to moderate terrain and sparse vegetation, the news release said.
Some leading areas of the fire have burned out because of sparse vegetation, officials said.
An engine and hand crew will check for hot spots along containment lines on the south end of the fire, which is near Elkhorn Ranch.
Elkhorn Ranch is currently in SET status for evacuation. Kitt Peak Observatory staff and the community of Pan Tak had already been evacuated.
There are currently eight crews, six helicopters and 300 plus personnel fighting the lightning caused fire.
The fire started on June 11 on the remote ridge of the Baboquivari Mountain range, 20 miles east of Sells. It has grown to 17,646 acres with 0% containment.
Arizona 386 remains closed due to the fire.
