Tucson Region

Rainfall dampens scope fire

SAFFORD - After higher humidity and lightning threatened to make things worse, rain came to Mt. Graham late Saturday afternoon and officials announced plans to scale back fighting fires that threatened an observatory complex, cabins and habitat for endangered squirrels. Higher humidity slowed the progress of the Gibson and Nuttall fires Friday and Saturday, said Bill Duemling, a fire information officer. But he said it also hampered crews' efforts to maintain backfires that are used to take fuel out of the path of the main fire. As Forest Service weathermen and officials watched the darkening skies Saturday, spot fires continued to pop up and crews called for helicopters to douse trees that occasionally exploded in a tower of flames. Smoke covered much of the 10,000-foot range north of Willcox much of the day. Late Saturday afternoon, after crews were pulled back and helicopters grounded because of lightning and rain, Paul Summerfelt, the deputy incident commander, said he expected the firefighting force to be reduced from more than 800 to no more than 250 firefighter by Tuesday and the fire to be downgraded from the most serious category. The fire was 55 percent contained as of dusk Saturday, but Summerfelt said no attempt was being made to contain the northern edge of the fire, which has run out of fuel. The coming rains will determine when the fire is fully contained. The operation had 11 helicopters at its command, as well as two military C-130s equipped for dropping fire retardant, and two privately owned contract P-3 Orions recently cleared by the U.S. government, he said. About $7.2 million had been spent by Saturday fighting the fires. Summerfelt said he was optimistic about saving the privately owned cabins at Turkey Flat and Columbine, but didn't expect owners to be allowed to use them for "for a while." He said there are still concerns about the safety of the cabins, not only from fire but from possible erosion if heavy rains overpower the damaged landscape's ability to absorb and carry water downhill. He said that in a couple days a "representative group" of owners would likely be escorted into the areas and allowed to take pictures and report to other cabin owners on cabin conditions. Reporters were allowed to visit the Mt. Graham International Observatory Saturday, the first time since two fires began to threaten the University of Arizona's three-telescope complex. There was a real threat to the telescopes because of conditions, said Don Howard, a structural protection specialist from Flagstaff charged with directing the effort to save the $200 million scopes, who called the danger the worst in memory. "Even guys with 25 years' experience haven't seen fuel loads like these." He said the supply of dead wood, mostly due to an engraver beetle infestation, and unchecked undergrowth and piles of tree debris - or duff - provided the fuel to make the fire burn hot and move fast. The bulldozing, tree-cutting and backfiring is a far cry from the rules the observatory operated under for the last 10 years. In the past, staff members and visitors to the observatory were sternly warned against stepping into the woods surrounding the site for fear of disturbing the endangered Mt. Graham red squirrel population that lives adjacent to the complex.