Thick Smoke From Bighorn Fire Blankets the Sky Over Oracle, Arizona

The Bighorn Fire burning in the Coronado National Forest near Tucson grew to nearly 24,000 acres and was at 40 percent containment on June 17 as gusty winds and high temperatures made conditions difficult for firefighters battling the blaze.

According to local media, fire crews continued to see flames in the upper regions of Ventana and Espero Canyons on Wednesday. Red-flag warnings were in place for “strong gusty winds out of the southwest” and dry conditions, the report said.

Evacuation orders continued for Mount Lemmon, including Summerhaven and Mount Bigelow.

This video shows the plumes of smoke billowing from Mount Lemmon from Oracle, situated at the northern end of the fire-affected Santa Catalina Mountains. Credit: Loren Shelton via Storyful