Mulberry Fire near Santa Rita & Empire Mtns

[SkyIslandHiker]

Here we go again

There is a new wildfire in the vicinity of AZ 83 between the northeast end of the Santa Ritas (Mt. Fagan) and the Empire Mountains, just north of the Sawmill Fire burn. According to map on Inciweb the fire's origin is very near where the AZT crosses Sahuarita Road along the Las Cienegas Passage. However media reports indicate that the fire began east of AZ 83; the AZT trail head is west of AZ83.

https://inciweb.nwcg.g...

[chumley]

Looks like they plan to have it fully contained by morning. Can't complain about a 16-hour fire on a windy day!

[SkyIslandHiker]

As of this morning's update, the Mulberry Fire has grown to 1,750 acres and is 45% contained. However, early this afternoon I drove AZ 83 between I-10 and Old Sonoita Highway and there was no evidence of a fire whatsoever, other than many fire vehicles along AZ 83. I neither saw nor smelled any smoke but did see fire retardant on some of the Empire Mountain peaks.

Local media was right and Inciweb was wrong about the location of the fire's origin. The fire was/is nowhere near the AZT trail head on Sahuarita Road as indicated on the Inciweb Google map. Not only that the fire was east of AZ 83.

[Sredfield]

Inci web has been less-than-stellar on these last two fires. I suppose it all depends on who is feeding the information in.

[chumley]

@Sredfield
I agree.
It was 45% contained late last night with an estimated containment of 6am today. It still says that.

Makes me think that it actually is contained (permiter secured) and they're just burning out the interior.

The 5pm news release says that the fire size has not grown since the morning report.

A fire that doesn't grow over 12 hours on a windy day seems to fit the definition of contained.

But it sure would be nice to have more reliable information so people don't have to read between the lines like that. It's one thing to be sitting in front of a computer a hundred miles away and another to be in your home where you can see the smoke or flames over the next hill.

[SkyIslandHiker]

Makes me think that it actually is contained (permiter secured) and they're just burning out the interior.

I wondered the same thing. However, during the peak of the Sawmill Fire when it was growing by 10,000 acres a day and only 5% contained, Inciweb was still showing an Estimated Containment Date that was days old.

Inciweb recently added what appears to be an accurate map of the Mulberry Fire burn area but their Google map still shows the fire's origin near the AZT Sahuarita Road trail head.

Bottom line is that the Mulberry Fire has had virtually no impact on hiking, other than peak bagging in the Empire Mountains which aren't all that popular.

[RedRoxx44]

Four structures burned in this one. Not specified as to type, outbuildings , homes etc.