In the 24 hours since it started on May 20, the Oak Tree Fire has burned about 2,000 acres on the Coronado National Forest and BLM land near State Highway 83 about 10 miles north of Sonoita, Arizona.
Fire managers have provided a copious amount information on InciWeb, and quickly. Here is an excerpt, updated this morning, May 21:
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“Air attack flew the fire this morning and reported minimal fire activity, however fire activity is expected to increase throughout the day as temperatures warm and winds increase. SW winds may increase to 15-20 mph with gusts to 35 mph this afternoon. Fire managers plan to fly a reconnaissance mission this morning and will be mapping the fire by GPS to provide a better size estimate. Ten additional fire engines from across Southeast Arizona arrived this morning. Two additional handcrews have been ordered and are expected to arrive mid-day today. Firefighters plan to take advantage of increased relative humidity and lighter winds this morning to build on yesterday’s progress. They plan to finish constructing fireline around the fire, focusing on a remaining section to be completed on the northeast flank of the fire. They will continue to monitor, hold, and strengthen fireline throughout the day. Air tankers and helicopters are available to drop water and retardant as needed to cool hotspots and slow the fire’s spread.
Current resources include two handcrews (two additional crews have been ordered and are expected to arrive mid-day), eighteen fire engines, four water tenders, one air attack platform, five air tankers, two helicopters and miscellaneous overhead, for a total of more than 100 people assigned.”
The first three photos were provided by the Sonoita-Elgin Fire District. The bottom aerial shot is from InciWeb.
