Fire crews contain blaze in Tubac

TUBAC — A fire from unknown causes burned brush and weeds Friday night near the Tubac Community Center.

At least five companies joined the battle to protect nearby property and contain the flames by Saturday morning.

No one was hurt, Tubac Fire Department Chief Kevin Keeley said.

Asked the cause, Keeley shook his head and said, “We still don’t know.”

Bonnie Long, a volunteer who helps run the community center, said she feared the fire would get onto the center’s grounds and threaten some structures and equipment belonging to Santa Cruz County.

Saturday morning, there were still smoking piles of leaves, adding to the natural morning haze.

There were trails of black ash here and there traced the night before by fingers of flames.

Battalion Chief Genaro Rivera dispelled notions that illegal immigrants started it with a campfire, which happens sometimes on this route from Mexico north.

It was too warm to warrant a campfire, Rivera said. Santa Cruz County Sheriff deputies, wearing short-sleeved shirts the night before, agreed it probably wasn’t an out-of-control campfire.

Joining the Tubac-Tumac‡cori Fire District were units from Rio Rico, Nogales Suburban, the U.S. Forest Service, Green Valley and Elephant Head.

Battalion Chief Rivera said units would probably work the fire area until about 4 p.m. Saturday.

He said Tucson Electric Power crews had replaced some damaged utility poles early Saturday.

Tubac resident Dana Long said neighbors rushed to help protect livestock at a nearby residence. There were a dozen or more horses and cattle and a llama there. Embers ignited some hay bales, but the volunteers quenched them.

The fire apparently started on the north side of a bridge that spans the ever-flowing Santa Cruz River and low lands filled with grass and desert shrubs.

A north blowing wind pushed the flames toward the community center.

Dana Long resorted to 9-1-1 to alert the county’s maintenance department, which sent workers to move threatened equipment.

jlamb@gvnews.com | 547-9749