The Bighorn Fire burning in the Catalina Mountains has increased to 7,092 acres Friday morning. Residents in the area have been placed on evacuation alert.
The fire which was sparked by a lightning strike remains at 10 percent containment, according to the Coronado National Forest.
“Most of the western United States currently is experiencing extreme dryness or drought, creating challenging conditions for wildfire season”, Bryan Henry, a meteorologist with the National Interagency Fire Center, said in a recent fire season outlook.
Tucson has experienced the hottest May in recorded history and long-term forecast models are not indicating any relief from the heat or dryness in the coming weeks.
Opterrix monitors wildfire activity at property and neighborhood granularity thanks to cutting-edge advancements in weather satellite technology and machine learning.