1. TV
 / Modified jun 20, 2023 3:05 p.m.

Fire near Ventana Canyon

The fire started in the Catalina Mountains in the early morning hours of Tuesday. by AZPM News Staff

US Forest Vehicles Forest Service vehicles in Tucson with smoke from the Ventana Fire in the background. June 20, 2023
Coronado National Forest Twitter

Officials with the Coronado National Forest said the Ventana Fire was reported around 3:30 Tuesday morning.

The fire is in the burn scar from the 2020 Bighorn Fire.

During the day helicopters dropping water and tankers dropping red fire retardant could be seen working the fire on the front side of the Catalina Mountains.

As of 3:00 pm, the Coronado National Forest reported the fire was 0% contained and had burned at least 50 acres.

Officials believe the fire was started by lightning that moved through the area around that time.

Lightning Map VIEW LARGER Lightning strikes in the overnight hours of June 20, 2023 show strikes in the area the Ventana Fire began.
Tucson National Weather Serice Office Twitter
MORE: Arizona, Environment, Fire, News
By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona