Big Horn Fire

[Jim]

https://www.facebook.com/CoronadoNF?_rdr=p


Finger Rock Trail is closed. It is a small fire, lightning caused, in Pontatoc (not Finger Rock) canyon and it appears to be below the Linda Vista Saddle AKA Pontatoc Canyon overlook, as I call it. It is burning below a rock face. I don't believe it is even up to 10 acres.

[Jim]

http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4458/

It was updated to 500 acres on 8/6. Monitoring at this point.

https://www.worldly.com/@scottfadynich/ ... 015-tucson

[jrousoshammond]

Does anyone know whether it's reached any of the three trails in the area? It looks like Pontatoc Canyon Trail will be impacted, but I'm not sure about Pontatoc Ridge or Finger Rock. Today after the rains it just looked like a little bit of smoke on he north side of Pontatoc Canyon, but I didn't get a good look yesterday when the fire was really going...

[Jim]

No maps yet, so I can't tell, but Finger Rock trail is closed and fire appears to have back burned in the area below the Linda Vista overlook.

Since the view up Finger Rock canyon is very good from the trailhead area, maybe you would consider going there, taking some photos, and posting a set here?

[jrousoshammond]

Just an hour or two ago, I didn't see anything in Finger Rock canyon at all. The few plumes I saw were very small and only in Pontatoc Canyon. The pictures on the second site you posted (the first photo in particular) look like it quite possibly reached all the way over the ridge into FR Canyon, possibly over Linda Vista, but my knowledge of the topography isn't good enough to tell in those nighttime photos. If it's any more than just the underbrush, that would be quite a bummer, Linda Vista's a great spot. But I'm no expert, perhaps it's in the long-run best interest of the area.

I'll be up around Tucson Mall in a little bit, so I might try to drive around the TH on the way home if I have time.

[Jim]

A map is up with an current estimated size of 750 acres. It appears to have burned over Little Kimball, and some of the middle sections of Finger Rock Trail.

[jrousoshammond]

Looks like it got Linda Vista, the nice flat area with the turnoff down across the canyon to Finger Rock, and maybe .5 miles of trail below that point. Kind of nerve-racking to watch, but judging by how this is being handled by authorities, it's perhaps for the best.

The map for anyone curious:

http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/photos/AZCNF/20 ... 62-CDT.pdf

[Jim]

Hiking Kimball from finger Rock ought to be interesting this fall!

Also, as of 8/12, the trail is open again, as the fire had a lot of rain over the last 2 days.

[Jim]

There is another one just east of Big Horn Mountain, slightly east of the peak and in the grassy slope leading to Table Mountain. About 3 acres in size.
http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4565/