U.S. Forest Service
Coronado National Forest
300 W. Congress, 6th Floor
Tucson, AZ 85701
Voice: (520) 388-8300
Web: www.fs.usda.gov/coronado

Wildfire Update

Media Contact: Giselle Koehn
(520) 388-8484
daphne.denzel-koehn@usda.gov

MERCER FIRE UPDATE

August 23, 2019

Location: Santa Catalina Ranger District, Coronado National Forest

Acres: 25

Start Date: August 22, 2019

Cause: Lightning

Containment: 25%

Total personnel: 35

Location: Catalina Mountains, Pusch Ridge Wilderness

Fuels: Buffelgrass

The Mercer Fire was ignited by lightning on the Coronado National Forest, Santa Catalina Ranger District the evening of August 22. The fire is approximately 25 acres burning in buffelgrass in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness just north of Melpomene road. A Type 4 Incident Commander is on scene along with Saguaro National Park Wildland Fire Module, Mesa Hotshot Crew, and Air Attack. The spread potential is currently low as the crews on the ground are making good progress suppressing the fire.

The fire is currently burning in buffelgrass which is an invasive plant that changes the way fire burns within this Sonoran Desert Ecosystem. Buffelgrass fuel loads in the Sonoran Desert can range from 1 to 4 tons per acre. This is 2 to 4,000 times greater than historic fuel levels. Because of its heavier fuel load, it can burn under a wider range of weather conditions. This invasive species creates fuel continuity where there typically would be none, increasing the potential for fires to grow much larger than they would have historically. Buffelgrass also burns with an intensity far higher than native plant species. Rate of fire spread in buffelgrass has been measured at 2-3 miles per hour under moderate conditions, which is 10 times faster than predicted for usual desert fuels.

Buffelgrass can be spread from communities onto the forest by motor vehicles, people, pets, and from private lands that border the Forest. To help minimize the spread of buffelgrass go to http://www.desertmuseum.org/buffelgrass/ for tips on how to clear your property of invasive plants, and how to help fight buffelgrass spread in and around our public lands.

For updates please see the Coronado National Forest Facebook page at http://facebook.com/CoronadoNF.