UPDATE (June 21, 10:16 a.m.):
The Table Mountain Fire is now 100% contained, the U.S Forest Service said Sunday morning.
After the fire first started back on June 14, crews are now beginning the cleanup and restoration phase.
UPDATE (June 20, 6:10 p.m.):
The U.S. Forest Service has announced the Table Mountain Fire is at 90% containment and resources are slowly being pulled from the area.
UPDATE (June 19, 10:40 a.m.):
Firefighters continue to strengthen and extend containment lines around the Table Mountain Fire, with containment increasing enough that some initial attack resources are being released to respond to other wildfires. Crews remain actively engaged in suppression efforts, supported by firefighting helicopters. An infrared helicopter flight Friday morning found lingering heat on inaccessible cliff faces, thick oak brush and within the fire's interior. Officials say this will be the final morning update on the fire. There are no closures, restrictions or evacuation orders in place. Fire managers also warned that hot, dry weather and low humidity are expected through the weekend, with afternoon winds of 10 to 15 mph and gusts up to 25 mph that could continue to challenge firefighting efforts.
UPDATE (6:30 p.m., June 18):
Some initial attack resources have been redirected to assist with the new Big Casa Fire, which started today near Rio Rico in the Santa Rita Mountains. Crews remained committed to the Table Mountain Fire mission overnight, watching for residual heat missed by the infrared flight.
UPDATE (10:30 a.m., June 18):
Containment of the Table Mountain Fire, helped by evening thunderstorms, increased to 50% overnight, according to a social media post from the U.S. Forest Service.
The fire stands Thursday morning at 103 acres.
Final support crews are on-scene to aid in the full suppression of the fire, and an initial attack group is ready to respond, the post said.
Firefighters on the mountain will continue to build containment lines and respond to hot spots, the post said.
Rose Canyon Lake remains closed while aircraft continue to use it as a water source, the post said.
UPDATE (6:45 p.m., June 17):
Containment on the Table Mountain Fire increased to 20% as full suppression efforts proved effective, the U.S. Forest Service said.
The fire has grown slightly to about 105 acres, with 133 personnel now assigned.
Crews were flown into the fire area Wednesday to secure the fireline, extinguish interior hot spots, and prevent fire from rolling downhill.
Two new divisions were also formed: a water handling group to manage water sources and an initial attack group on standby for new fire starts.
An infrared flight confirmed lingering heat in the steep, rocky terrain, but the fire stayed within its existing perimeter.
The main concern remains burning vegetation rolling downhill on the steep slopes.
Isolated thunderstorms are possible overnight, with a drying trend expected over the next few days.
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UPDATE (7:30 p.m., June 16):
The Table Mountain Fire has grown to approximately 100 acres with containment still at 0%, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Fire behavior increased substantially by midday Tuesday due to stronger winds, officals said.
The U.S. Forest Service said the fire is burning through sotol — a large, leaf-succulent shrub whose dead outer leaves make it especially susceptible to fire. When the stem burns through, the plant can topple and roll downhill, rapidly spreading flames. Smoke became visible from Tucson as the fire pushed into unburned vegetation.
Additional air resources were called in, including one Very Large Air Tanker (VLAT), two Large Air Tankers (LATs), and two additional Type 1 helicopters.
Firefighters will remain on the mountain overnight, continuing full suppression tactics including containment line construction and hot spot management.
The cause is believed to be lightning.
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UPDATE (7:33 a.m., June 16):
The Table Mountain Fire near Pusch Ridge grew to 12 acres overnight. The U.S. Forest Service said on social media that the fire was more active throughout the evening due to "diurnal winds."
Fire crews continued to build containment lines throughout the night, while managing interior hot spots.
The Forest Service has closed Rose Canyon Lake so that helicopters can use its water to support ground units. The trails and campground will remain open.
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UPDATE (10:00 p.m., June 15):
The U.S. National Forest Service says the fire has now reignited with containment still at 0%.
As it continued to smolder, they say wood rolled down part of the mountain, which led to more of the fire spreading quickly.
Firefighters had to transition to "full suppression tactics" for containment efforts, which will continue overnight.
UPDATE (11:11 a.m., June 15):
According to the U.S. National Forest Service, Coronado National Forest's Facebook page, the fire started in Pima Canyon and was due to a large lightning storm event.
Initially, air support was unable to fly to the fire for an initial assessment due to poor weather conditions.
Firefighters were eventually able to hike to the location and determined the fire stood at about 3 acres.
They engaged through the night, with the overnight rain contributing to suppression efforts.
As of this morning, there was no visible smoke or flames on what has been dubbed the Table Mountain Fire. The size remains at 3 acres.
Interior heat may still be present. An infrared flight is slated for later today to determine heat signatures and possible other start points.
A portable emergency water reservoir is being installed near Catalina State Park to provide a water dip site to support fire operations.
A second lightning-caused fire, the Ventana Fire, located on the southeastern side of Mount Kimball in the Santa Catalina Mountains, also remains at 3 acres.
There are no visible smoke or flames on the Ventana Fire, though interior heat may still be present, according to the US Forest Service.
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A small fire could be seen from the Catalina Mountains near Pusch Ridge Sunday evening.
The USDA tells us there are "confirmed starts" in the area, and that firefighters are monitoring a nearby storm cell as it makes it's way across the mountain.
With rain expected to continue in the area, the USDA also says it will change nearby vegitation reception to the flames.
This is a developing story, we will continue to provide you with more information as it becomes available.
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