Contreras Fire burns thousands of acres, reaches observatory
The Contreras Fire, which started June 11 about 8 miles southeast of Kitt Peak National Observatory, reached the location of several astronomical facilities early Friday morning, according to a statement from the University of Arizona.
According to Inciweb, a site that tracks wildfire activity, strong gusty winds developed overnight on Thursday, unexpectedly pushing the fire to the north and causing it to impact Kitt Peak around 2 am on Friday. As of Saturday, the fire had burned 17,646 acres.
Kitt Peak is the location of astronomical facilities managed by the University of Arizona Steward Observatory. Kitt Peak National Observatory is managed by NOIRLab.
“We are grateful to all who are working to fight the fire and help protect the facilities while keeping everyone safe. We are also proud of our staff who did their best to prepare our facilities before they were ordered to leave the mountain on Wednesday,” said University of Arizona president Robert Robbins.
According to the University, the fire’s north end reached the southwest ridge, where a Hiltner telescope, a McGraw-Hill telescope, a Very Long Baseline Array Dish and the University of Arizona telescope are located.
The fire started in a remote area of the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation and officials believe it was caused by a lightning strike.
Since the fire started, aviation resources and firefighting efforts have been limited. Smoke in the area, extremely dry fuels, high winds, and the steep and rugged terrain make it difficult to access, according to Inciweb.
A Type 2 Incident Management Team took command on June 17. Over 300 personnel are currently assigned to the fire.
According to a Saturday update on Inciweb, the Pan Tak community, northeast of Kitt Peak along Highway 86, is currently on an evacuation status and a shelter has been established for community members.
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Additional crews and areas will be monitoring and protecting structures in the Observatory and the communities areas, according to the update.
According to the University, damages to structures were not assessed on Friday because of the high fire activity in the area. Assessment of the Observatory was expected to start on Saturday if conditions allow for safe entry, according to Inciweb.
“Initial assessment indicates that all the domes and other scientific facilities have been protected from the worst part of the fire to date,” the update said.
Four non-scientific buildings on the west side of the Observatory property were lost in the fire, according to the update.
According to the Bureau of Land Management in Arizona, firefighting conditions were expected to be favorable on Saturday as the fire was expected to reach more advantageous terrain and better chances of showers and thunderstorms were forecasted, with the potential for wetting rains.
Reach breaking news reporter Laura Daniella Sepulveda at [email protected] or on Twitter @lauradNews.
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