Showers Helps Check 6-Acre Catalinas Blaze

A lightning-sparked blaze charred about six acres in the Santa Catalina Mountains on Monday, fire officials said.

Officials received reports early Monday afternoon of the blaze, which burned about about 1 to 2 miles northwest of the Gordon Hirabayashi Campground, said Heidi Schewel, a spokeswoman for the Coronado National Forest.

The blaze, dubbed the Sycamore Fire, was burning grasses in an area that previously sustained damage from the Aspen Fire in 2003.

Fire crews monitored the blaze but did not actively work to put it out because it was approaching a very rocky area with no fuel, Schewel said.

Crews left the area later in the evening because heavy rain helped slow the fire, she said.

The National Weather Service in Tucson reported about 1/4 of an inch of rain in the area, with afternoon temperatures in the low- to mid-90s.

Find out more at azstarnet.com/wildfire

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