The fire hit the observatory about 2 a.m. burning hot enough to break through lines of fire retardant air tankers dropped to try to shut the fire out.
THREE POINTS, Ariz. — The Contreras fire is still uncontained, and challenging firefighters to control it. The fight is so difficult the fire is now rated the number one priority to wild land fires in the entire U-S. Part of the priority is the Kitt Peak Observatory—in the path of the fire.
But firefighters were waiting for the blaze, hot shot crews and crews on fire engines meant for structure fires were already at the observatory. Firefighters say the Observatory staff routinely took firewise precautions like clearing large buffers around buildings so fires have less fuel to carry flames up to the structures.
Clark McCready is Public Information Officer for the Eastern Arizona Incident Management Team. He says, “What that means is that if we need additional resources, we're at the top of the list. And that's a tremendous asset in terms of trying to order resources and you consider some of the other fires that are going on in the landscape and the resources that they need. And now that we are number one that gives us a great opportunity to get those resources we need.
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