Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: The Jackson Fire in the Santa Teresa Mountains west of Pima has burned about 150 acres as of Sunday afternoon.
By Jon Johnson
SANTA TERESA WILDERNESS – The Bureau of Land Management is engaged in fighting a lightning-caused wildland fire in the North Santa Teresa Wilderness.
Dubbed the Jackson Fire due to its proximity to Jackson Mountain, the fire began Saturday night around 6 p.m. in a remote location without any ground access, according to BLM Public Affairs Officer June Lowery.
The fire had appeared to burn itself out by Sunday morning, however, increasing winds whipped it up again and it has increased from about 35 acres Sunday morning to around 150 acres as of Sunday afternoon.
Due to the rough terrain, the BLM is utilizing single-engine air tankers (SEATS) to perform aerial drops on the fire to contain it. A BLM Safford crew is assigned to the fire along with air attack and four SEATS.
The Santa Teresa Wilderness is roughly 26,891 acres and is in the Santa Teresa Mountains west of Pima. The mountain range is one of four in the Safford Ranger District and is remote and lightly visited.
