Officials in Pima County are worried about the possibility of flooding in the wake of the Bighorn fire on Mount Lemmon, which has burned nearly 120,000 acres and is 85% contained as of Saturday morning.
Soil charred by the fire doesn’t absorb water. So after a heavy monsoon rain, flash floods can quickly form over burn scars, as meteorologist Jeremy Michael explains.
"This is one of our worst fears, when we have something like this happen, because like you’ve seen Pima Flood Control district talk about what we can actually see after these large fires and these high-severity burn areas," Michael said. "You can get a tremendous amount of water, much more water than you would usually see from any regular thunderstorm."
Most residents who were evacuated during the fire have been allowed to return home.
