Episode 811: Understanding the Bighorn Fire

This week, a special presentation of the Arizona Illustrated episode that earned this year’s regional Emmy-award for Magazine Program… “Understanding The Bighorn Fire.” On the evening of June 5, 2020, lightning struck Bighorn mountain in the Santa Catalina mountains north of Tucson…sparking the massive wildfire named for the mountain …the fire raged for 48 days, at times threatening homes and forcing people to evacuate. Nearly 1,000 personnel fought the fire, using thousands of gallons of fire retardant, water, and a little rainfall, to fully contain it on July 23, 2020…but not before it burned almost one hundred and twenty thousand acres. This week on Arizona Illustrated we look back at the causes, impact, and future of the burn areas in the Santa Catalina mountains.

Wildlife and The Bighorn
With the Big Horn Fire burning in the Catalinas for weeks, Tucsonans witnessed a daily reminder of the power of nature sparking a new public debate about wildfire management. Mark Hart of Arizona Game & Fish and Randy Serraglio from The Center for Biological Diversity speak to the variety of species that have been impacted by the fire including Big Horn Sheep, the Desert Tortoise, the Mexican Spotted Owl, the Gila Chub, the Goulds Turkey, and the Mountain Lion. We are reminded that while this wildfire was powerful and devastating, it is also part of a natural process that can lead to a healthier forest and potentially healthier habitat for the species that make their home in the Catalinas.

After the Burn
In the aftermath of the Bighorn fire in the Catalinas, researchers see a unique opportunity to better understand how fire impacts the delicate sky island ecosystems here in Arizona. How was this fire different from historical blazes? And what can we learn about nature's resiliency in the face of such cataclysmic events? We follow a research expedition led by fire and forest ecologist Don Falk and tree ring expert Laura Marshall to the high elevation forests atop Mt. Lemmon, to learn how this sensitive region has fared immediately following the blaze.

Lessons from the Chiricahuas
What happens to ecosystems after wildfire or other major disturbances? We go on a journey though the Chiricahua Mountains with UA researcher Jim Malusa who tracks how vegetation on the mountain range has changed since the Horseshoe 2 fire of 2011. His research may reveal how the burn areas in the Santa Catalinas will recover from the Bighorn Fire.

Favorite Places: Mt. Lemmon
Architect Michael Nervik shares childhood memories of camping under the stars, playing in the snow in the winter and escaping summer’s heat with a beautiful drive up to one of his Favorite Places: Mt. Lemmon. Tweet