UPDATE: Crews still working to contain the wildfire on Mt. Lemmon

Published: May. 12, 2016 at 3:44 PM MST|Updated: May. 13, 2016 at 2:32 AM MST
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Two crews (1 Type 1 hotshot crew, 1 Type 2 crew) have been assigned to fight the Montrose Fire...
Two crews (1 Type 1 hotshot crew, 1 Type 2 crew) have been assigned to fight the Montrose Fire on Mt. Lemmon. (Source: Tucson News Now)
Drivers on Catalina Highway should expect to encounter heavy traffic from fire equipment in...
Drivers on Catalina Highway should expect to encounter heavy traffic from fire equipment in the area. (Source: Tucson News Now)

MT. LEMMON, AZ (Tucson News Now) - Crews fighting a small wildfire on Mt. Lemmon are still working to contain it on Thursday night, according to a spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service.

They will continue to work through the evening, and helicopters will continue to drop water on the fire until 7 p.m.

Two crews were assigned to fight the wildfire after it was discovered burning on Mt. Lemmon on Thursday morning.

According to the National Forest Service, Montrose Fire grew from 5 to 13 acres. The fire is in the area of Box Spring, about three miles northwest of Rose Canyon Lake.

The fire is fueled by downed timber, grass, brush and trees and is located in steep, rough terrain.

"There is a lot of dead trees on the ground, a lot of logs and when heat gets into those, that can burn for a while so that means we have to be vigilant and make sure when we get line around it, it is good solid line and sparks will not be carried to start a spot fire elsewhere," said Heidi Schewel, spokeswoman for the Coronado National Forest Service.

Rose Canyon Lake was closed Thursday so two helicopters could dip water from it to use on the fire. Two crews (one Type 1 hotshot crew, one Type 2 crew) are on scene.

Six water tenders were also being used to haul water from the base of the mountain up the Catalina Highway. Drivers were warned to expect to encounter heavy traffic.

The Coronado National Forest obtained a temporary flight restriction from the Federal Aviation Administration over the area, making any drone use there unlawful.

Helicopters may be grounded if drones or other aircraft are observed in the area.

The fire is believed to be human caused and is under investigation.

"There are conditions are out there for a wildfire to start and go largely in some places in the lower to mid elevations," Schewel said. "We have a lot of grasses and we have seen fire grow to over 1,000 acres or thousands of acres in the same day. We are encouraging people to keep the 'one less spark' concept in mind."

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