TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Exactly five years ago tonight, we were in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic and Tucson was receiving some welcome rain.
Little did we know at the time, a lightning strike would turn into one of the most destructive wildfires in Southern Arizona's history.
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During a rare June 5 thunderstorm in Tucson, storm chaser and photographer Donna Ruthruff captured a lightning bolt with her camera.
"I saw just this little pinpoint of light on the side of Pusch Ridge. When I looked at the two pictures side by side, it was pretty obvious that strike started the fire," Ruthruff said.
Named the Bighorn fire for the bighorn sheep who inhabit Pusch Ridge, the wildfire quickly grew. Within days, evacuation orders went out for people living in the Catalina Foothills.
I talked with Dan Montelli during the early days of the Bighorn Fire. He was one of the Tanker 10 pilots dropping 160,000 gallons of retardant on the Catalina Mountains, saving countless homes in the foothills.
"So we're just part of a big team that's trying to get in there and contain this fire, " Montelli said.
Not an easy job with the rugged terrain.
"We were going into town, so some of the drops were pretty steep. It was some sporty flying," Montelli said.
Fire crews then began to focus on the community of Summerhaven. The same area that had been devastated by the 2003 Aspen Fire was now in the direct line of the 2020 Bighorn Fire.
By June 16 Summerhaven had to be evacuated.
"They would do their best to keep it out of Summerhaven, but they didn't have the tools to stop it from blowing through," Mt. Lemmon General Store Owner Grey Carpenter.
"So, that was a heart-sinking feeling," Carpenter said.
Crews came up with a plan: They called it the donut hole.
They reinforced Summerhaven, allowing the wildfire to burn around the town, sparking the cabins and businesses.
A crucial moment in the Bighorn Fire came on June 17 of 2020. That's when fire swept up this canyon and put the Mt. Lemmon Fire Department and the town of Summerhaven in grave danger.
That's when Carpenter decided it was time to leave.
"By the time I got to the bottom of the mountain, it was already coming up to the fire station and we were watching on TV, that famous video, where it came up and went all around the fire station," Carpenter said. "I was right there two hours before that."
The 'donut hole' plan worked, and Summerhaven was spared.
By July 23, the Bighorn Fire was finally put out—but not before 119,987 acres had been burned, making it one of the ten largest fires in state history.
Carpenter says he learned a valuable lesson:
"Next time, I will probably evacuate sooner."
And he thinks the lessons learned from the 2003 Aspen Fire helped Summerhaven avoid a similar fate during Bighorn.
"A lot of the places along the perimeter had been 'fire-wising' and were prepared. I don't think that fire was able to advance because of that," Carpenter said.
As of now, Carpenter says business at the Mt. Lemmon General Store has been great. He tells me everybody is enjoying their famous fudge, made by his wife, Teri.
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Pat Parris is an anchor and reporter for KGUN 9. He is a graduate of Sabino High School where he was the 1982 high school state track champion in the 800 meters. While in high school and college, he worked part-time in the KGUN 9 newsroom. Share your story ideas and important issues with Pat by emailing pat.parris@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
