New wildfire forces evacuations in Oracle

“Please evacuate the area immediately!” Coronado National Forest officials said in a Facebook post Wednesday night.

A temporary evacuation site has been set up at the Mammoth Community Center, 101 W. Fifth St. 

The Red Cross set up a shelter in Oro Valley at Canyon Del Oro High School, 25 W. Calle Concordia. 

The Arizona Department of Transportation has closed access, except for residents, at the junction of highways 77 and 79.

In addition to the evacuation zones so far, other residents of the Oracle area and in San Manuel have been told to prepare for possible evacuation. Oracle, with a population of a few thousand, is about 40 miles north of Tucson. 

The Cody Fire, which has zero containment, is east of the Cedar Fire and not connected with it, the Forest Service says. The cause is under investigation.  

Multiple agencies and local departments are fighting the Cody Fire, using air attack planes coordinated with other firefighting aircraft, including very large airtankers, large airtankers, single-engine airtankers and multiple helicopters, the Forest Service says. 

“Extreme fire behavior was present due to the dry conditions, light and flashy fuels, and local fuel loading. The wind assisted in moving the fire quickly over the challenging terrain. 

“Firefighters will remain working on the fire throughout the night. They will continue building containment lines and addressing hot spots along the perimeter.”

The area is also under Temporary Flight Restrictions.