Firefighters make progress with containment and structure protection on the Elgin Bridge Fire
Nearly 200 personnel remain assigned to the Elgin Bridge Fire and continue working to establish containment line with a goal of 100% suppression. Fifteen percent of the fire is contained on the western flank near the community of Elgin, but the fire remains active at the head. The fire is still situated within the Mustang Mountain range, just south of State Route 82 and west of Babacomari Ranch Road. When safe, firefighters continue to go direct by utilizing firing operations to clear out unburned fuel ahead of the fire. This tactic allows the fire to hit the burned operational area with the goal of slowing its growth and movement. Crews are trying to get ahead of the fire and establish direct line construction to keep the fire from progressing toward the highway and scattered ranch houses ahead of the fire. Overnight, the fire was mapped at 2,149. The decrease in acreage is due to more accurate mapping.
To the east of the fire, the threat to the kilovolt (kV) lines has significantly decreased as the fire shifted back to the north and away from those powerlines. However, firefighters continue to provide structure protection to that high priority infrastructure as well as nearby structures. Aircraft was utilized again Tuesday in tandem with ground resources to help
slow the fire’s spread and allow the hand crews to safely continue building containment lines. Objectives for the next few days include, increasing containment lines and keeping the fire in its current footprint without any additional growth. The fire is burning in tall grass, brush, and chaparral within difficult terrain across the Mustang Mountains, northeast of Elgin.
While there are no SET or GO notifications, residents should always stay alert and be prepared to evacuate in a moment’s notice as wildfire conditions can change rapidly.
Today, Stage 2 fire restrictions take effect on State Trust Lands and federal lands throughout Southern Arizona. For the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management’s jurisdiction, that includes State Trust Lands within Cochise, Graham, Greenlee, Pima, Pinal, and Santa Cruz Counties. Under Stage 2 restrictions, no campfires area allowed and smoking outdoors is prohibited. Target shooting and fireworks are not allowed on state lands year-round.
Fire details
Start date – Monday, May 23, 2022
Size – 2,149 acres
Containment – 15%
Location – ¼ mile NE of Elgin
Cause- Under Investigation
Fire information resources
Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8119/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/azstateforestry
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arizonastateforestry
Arizona Department of Transportation: Dial 511
