Wildfire reaches Kitt Peak observatory SW of Tucson

A fast-spreading wildfire southwest of Tucson burned through the property of the Kitt Peak National Observatory early Friday, but the damage to the world famous telescope site was not known, officials said.

Around 2 a.m. Friday, the Contreras Fire, which started 20 miles east of Sells, crested the southwest ridge where the Hiltner 2.4-meter Telescope, McGraw-Hill 1.3-meter Telescope, Very Long Baseline Array Dish and University of Arizona 12-meter Telescope are located, a news release from the observatory said.

Personnel from the observatory had already evacuated from the site because of the fire, which started June 11.

“The Contreras Fire reached the observatory early Friday morning. We are working with firefighters at the site to assess possible damage,” according to a tweet from Kitt Peak officials. The observatory is operated by the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab.

Dense shrub ground cover below Kitt Peak allowed the fire to make rapid upslope growth, a news release from the Eastern Area Incident Management Team said. Structure protection crews worked to protect structures at the observatory.

Electrical supply to the observatory was suspended to reduce unintentional sparking, the news release said. Ground crews were also utilizing fuel reduction methods to clear flammable ground material and create fuel breaks on the property.

On the east side of the fire, personnel were monitoring fire behavior and looking for access points for crews while structure protection crews on the south end of the fire were utilizing fire control lines, sprinkler systems and other suppression methods to ensure the safety of Elkhorn Ranch, the news release said.

The chances of precipitation Friday afternoon and throughout the weekend is expected to slow the growth of the fire, the news release said. Critical fire weather remains in the area and there is potential for frequent lightning and gusty, erratic winds.

There are currently five helicopters assigned to the fire along with 300-plus personnel battling the blaze. More crews have been ordered and were expected to arrive Friday, the news release said.

The community of Pan Tak was evacuated and the Elkhorn Ranch was told to prepare for possible evacuation.

The fire started June 11 on a remote ridge of the Baboquivari Mountain range on the Tohono O’odham reservation. The fire was caused by lightning and has burned a total of 11,489 acres with no containment as of Friday.

Arizona 386 had been closed to traffic due to the fire.