The Mangum Fire near the Grand Canyon torched more than 10,800 acres and was 2% contained as of Saturday, while other wildfires continued burning across Arizona.

Though the cause of the fire remains under investigation, it was sparked Monday and as of Saturday involved 234 personnel working to quell it.

The fire was pushed north Friday by strong winds that caused blowing embers to create spot fires up to a half-mile north of the main fire, according to Inciweb, a government fire-tracking service.

Ten additional linear miles were added to the fire’s length on Friday, with the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office issuing an evacuation notice for the Jacob Lake area late Friday afternoon.

Structure protection crews began preparing structures around Jacob Lake by creating additional “defensible space” around structures, according to Inciweb.

“Red flag conditions” of high wind, low humidity, high temperatures and an “unstable” atmosphere were predicted to create another day of “very active fire behavior” on Saturday.

As of Saturday morning, the Arizona Department of Transportation had closed Highway 89A from approximately Marble Canyon to Fredonia and Highway 67 to the Grand Canyon for public safety. The U.S. Forest Service had additionally issued a closure of the entire fire area.

Stage two fire restrictions were in place as of Saturday, prohibiting open fires, smoking and target shooting. A temporary flight restriction, which includes drones, is also in place.

Tucson-area Bighorn Fire is 10% contained

The Bighorn Fire, burning in the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson, was 10% contained as of Friday.

It had burned more than 10,300 acres by that point and involved around 550 fire personnel, according to Inciweb.

The blaze was ignited by lightning and had caused three minor heat-related illnesses as of Friday.

The fire was expected to continue growing upslope toward Window Rock, where Inciweb said crews were working to identify area where firefighters would have the greatest chance of halting the fire’s progression.

Additional fire-fighting resources were expected to arrive in the area throughout the weekend.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department issued an evacuation notice for residents in the vicinity of East Golder Ranch Drive and East Collins Road. Residents are asked to evacuate immediately when the danger is “current and life-threatening.”

The surrounding area, south of East Hawser Street and east of North Lago del Oro Parkway, including Catalina Regional Park, were under an alert notice that asks residents to maintain awareness of significant danger.

An American Red Cross evacuation center was open at Canyon del Oro High School as of Friday. Closures, including those at Catalina State Park, remained in effect.

Large portions of the Coronado National Forest near the fire area were also restricted.

Sawtooth Fire at 85% containment

The Sawtooth Fire, which was caused by lightning on May 30 in the Superstition Wilderness, had burned 24,729 acres and was 85% contained as of Wednesday, the last date that the fire’s incident page on Inciweb was updated.

Officials at that point said it would be the final update for the fire unless “significant” events occurred.

There were approximately 225 personnel working on the fire, with the Wednesday statement saying “minimal fire activity” had been reported within the previous day.

The incident management team transitioned command of the fire to the Tonto National Forest at 6 a.m. Tuesday. Forest staff will continue to monitor and patrol the fire, while firefighters remained present through the transition period to respond to any new starts in the area.

There were no evacuations in effect as of Wednesday, though a closure order was in place for the Peralta Trailhead and surrounding areas within the Tonto National Forest.

Tortolita Fire 100% contained

The Tortolita Fire was 100% contained as of Thursday, after burning 3,140 acres.

The fire was sparked on June 5 by a lightning strike after a thunderstorm rolled over the Tortolita Mountains, north of Oro Valley, according to Inciweb.

A total of 90 personnel works on the fire, and one engine remained in the area as of Thursday to patrol and monitor containment lines.

Reach the reporter at [email protected] or 602-444-8529.  Follow her on Twitter @brieannafrank. 

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