Tucson Region

Mt. Graham fire crews optimistic

Firefighters hope to begin burnout operations today on the 450-acre Nuttall Fire on Mount Graham after nearly completing break lines Tuesday. Meanwhile, a rapidly growing fire near Payson, north of Phoenix, surpassed 32,000 acres Tuesday, as crews reached 3 percent containment. The Nuttall Fire is not threatening the multimillion-dollar array of telescopes and equipment near the mountain's summit. Fire crews concentrated their work in the southwest quadrant of the fire, building a perimeter line from which they will start back burns to halt the fire's progress, said Jennifer Plyler, a fire information officer. The fire is burning through heavy brush and mixed conifer forest in inaccessible terrain at 7,500 to 8,000 feet elevation. Monday night's humidity continued into Tuesday morning, and the smoke plume was much reduced, said Buddy Powell, associate director of the UA's Steward Observatory, which manages the Mount Graham International Observatory near the 10,720-foot summit. Powell said the 40 or so people working atop the mountain were "preparing for the worst, hoping for the best." He said fire officials told him that the blaze, at the worst, would take "two to three weeks to burn up to the observatory." You would expect significant rainfall before then, he said. The fire, which began Saturday with a lightning strike, is still more than five miles from the telescopes and is not burning between the observatory and the workers' escape route, he said. On Tuesday, the 15 crews working the fire carved lines along roads and drainages well away from the fire's perimeter in preparation for burning vegetation back toward the fire and depriving it of fuel, said Kim Hunter, spokeswoman for the Southwest Area Incident Management Team fighting the fire. Eleven "Type 1" hotshot crews are working the blaze, along with four "Type 2" crews, eight helicopters, 12 engines, four water tenders and support personnel, totaling 520. The Willow Fire, seven miles southwest of the Rim Country town of Payson also continued to grow unchecked but at a slower pace, increasing to about 32,000 acres but not threatening any residential areas. Winds were lower than expected, which helped the firefighters' effort, said Tammy Pike, a fire information officer. In Payson, perched below the Mogollon Rim in the middle of the Tonto National Forest at an altitude of 5,000 feet, the town still planned a big July 4 weekend, with games, concerts and even a fireworks display. Officials, meanwhile, readied evacuation plans in the event the wind pushes the fire toward the town. "The weather gods can help us out, that would certainly be appreciated," said Payson Fire Marshal Mike Winters. The Willow Fire, which began as a lightning strike last Thursday, had doubled in size on two successive days and slowed a bit Monday before growing by about 10,000 acres Tuesday. Officials are working on a plan that would eventually keep it within a 140,000-acre area, mostly in the Mazatzal Wilderness Area. The fire is being fought by 14 "Type 1" crews, 11 "Type 2" crews, five helicopters, six dozers and four water tenders, with a total of 791 personnel.