By Jon Johnson
PIMA – The Bryce Fire burning along the Gila River riverbed northwest of Pima was listed at 80 percent containment as of 9:30 p.m. Thursday.
The fire started just before 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday and has grown to 160 acres as of Thursday night.
Pima Fire was first on scene and had nearly knocked it down, but high winds caused the fire to jump the initial containment area and spread to around 50 acres by 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Wildland hand crews from the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management worked the fire overnight and utilized fire to fight fire.
One crew was stationed at a residence off Highway 70 and stood defiantly facing the wall of flames approaching a couple of homes. The firefighters surrounded the perimeter and guarded the residences all night, saving the homes and vehicles.
On Thursday, two additional hand crews and engines were ordered to help suppress the fire, which is burning invasive tamarisk and Cottonwood trees. The oil in the tamarisk (Salt Cedar) causes the thick, black smoke that periodically erupts from the blaze.
The fire had a natural fire break in the Gila River, and there were additional significant fire breaks at the start of cotton fields on both the eastern and western flanks.
On Thursday, the fire mostly burned on its northwest side in one of the remaining pockets of unburned fuel.
There are no longer any threatened structures, and, according to the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, Highway 70 has not been impacted; however, they do advise of possible smoke drifting onto the highway.
While no official cause of the fire has been stated, an initial report to the Graham County Dispatch advised of an ATV “exploding”, possibly causing the fire.
