[Sahuarita, AZ - Mar. 20th, 2023] - On Monday March 20th, 2023, at approximately 5:55 PM Sahuarita officers were dispatched to a fire in the desert area north of Rancho Sahuarita, a densely populated residential area. Officers and a RMFD fire crew responded to the area but were initially unable to locate a fire. Officers could smell something burning, but winds made smoke difficult to see and track. At about 6:15 PM SPD officers deployed a SPD UAV drone and within a few minutes located scorched foliage and flames that were spreading to dry brush.
Officers relayed the location of the fire to RMFD. Sahuarita officers who had shovels with them began putting dirt on flames and another used a fire extinguisher in order to minimize the spread of the fire. RMFD personnel responded and used shovels and water packs to extinguish flames in adjacent areas.
Responding officers spoke to some children in the area that denied any knowledge of the origin of the fire. Fire and police personnel were not able to immediately determine the origin of the fire. Fire crews remained on scene for two hours ensuring that the fire would not reignite.
Attached to this Media Release are a few pictures taken by SPD staff or the SPD UAV.
Anyone with information related to the cause of the fire is encouraged to relay that information to Sahuarita Police by calling 9-1-1, or our tip line at 520-445-7847.