Highway to Mount Lemmon reopens to residents after Burro Fire

PHOENIX — A highway leading to Mount Lemmon was reopened Monday afternoon after being closed for more than a week because of the nearby Burro Fire.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said the highway would only be opened to residents and people who work in the area. Proper identification is required and deputies will have a list of employees to check.

Some Forest Service closures inside the pass may remain in place.

There was no timetable to reopen the roadway to the general public.

Redington Road, which was closed between mileposts 2 and 14, was reopened to all traffic.

The highway was closed about eight miles northeast of Tucson after the Burro Fire started June 30. The town of Summerhaven, which is on Mount Lemmon, was evacuated.

The Burro Fire had consumed 27,238 acres as of Monday. More than 630 people were fighting the blaze, which was 51 percent contained.

Officials expected to make further progress against the fire as the week moves along. The area received some rainfall over the weekend — an inch of rain fell in some spots — and more was expected.

However, the rain storms could cause flooding or wash out roads.

Crews responded to two small ignitions on Mount Lemmon on Monday. Both were expected to be suppressed.