Around 200 Homes Evacuated As Arizona's Big Horn Fire Burns Through Over 6,000 Acres

Emergency personnel battled the Big Horn fire in Pima County, Arizona, Friday, which has burned more than 6,000 acres. Residential areas at risk from the fire were being evacuated as the blaze pushed into surrounding.

As of Friday, around 200 homes in the fire's path had been evacuated while warnings were issued to other residential areas at risk from the blaze.

The fire started on June 5 following a lightning strike in the Santa Catalina Mountains. Emergency crews tried to control the spread into safe areas but only the fire is just 10% contained.

To help combat the blaze, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said in a press release it granted Arizona’s request for federal funds Thursday.

“On June 11, 2020, the state of Arizona submitted a request for a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) for the Big Horn Fire,” the agency said. “At the time of the request, the fire threatened approximately 850 homes around Oro Valley and the Catalina Foothills, with mandatory evacuations in effect for approximately 200 homes.”

“The FEMA Region IX regional administrator determined that the Big Horn Fire threatened such destruction as would constitute a major disaster.”

The last containment operation also took place on Thursday as crews conducted a burnout operation to slow the blaze’s spread. Helicopter crews used a “specialized machine” to drop plastic spheres along “strategic locations” in the southern end of Pima Canyon. The spheres ignited into small, controlled fires to consume vegetation ahead of the main fire, effectively sapping it of its fuel.

Additional crews continued dropping fire retardants along the main fire to slow the spread.

However, officials said they fear Friday’s weather could help spread the conflagration further. Strong, dry winds are expected and could spread embers. The forecast also calls for dry thunderstorms that could trigger more blazes.