UPDATE: The Burro Fire burning in the Santa Catalina Mountains has grown to 24,547 acres, or 38.3 square miles, and is now 11 percent contained.

688 personnel are battling the fire and have made progress on strengthening control lines using burnout operations to keep the fire from spreading southward, according to the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management.

A community meeting to discuss the Burro Fire will be held on Thursday, July 6, at Sahuaro High School, 545 N. Camino Seco, at 5:30 p.m.

UPDATE: The Burro Fire burning in the Catalina Mountains has grown to 23,238 acres, or 36.3 square miles, as of Wednesday morning.

While the fire is 11percent contained, fire officials say that does not mean firefighters have not made progress in battling the blaze.

Officials say they'll wait to see if fire lines hold up to strong winds today before they calculate a new containment percentage around the Burro Fire.

About 595 personnel are assigned to fighting the fire, but officials say they'll continue using helicopters and air tankers to drop retardant in rugged terrain where firefighters can not be deployed.

TUCSON - Redington Road is closed until further notice, according to fire officials.

The Burro Fire has grown to 21, 035 acres and is still zero percent contained.

The incident management team for the Burro Fire held a meeting Tuesday evening at SabinoHigh School.

"The fire remained active well into the evening Monday night," saidJayson Coil, operations section chief.

"That was due to the outflow winds that occurred from a thunderstorm that built near the fire, butdidn't really drop any precipitation," he said. "It moved the fire to the southeast."

Coil said a meteorologist is assigned to the Burro Fire that will be watching nearby thunderstorm activity. He said if a thunderstorm is nearbybut doesn't produce rain over the fire, it causes high winds.

"To make sure everyone is aware of where that build up is occurring and the potential of that build up creating those strong outflow winds. And with those cells come the chance of new ignition from lightning."

He said on Monday,firefighters were able to keep it from impacting the Bellota Ranch. Firefighters have beenable to keep the fire north of Redington Pass Road.

On the west side of the fire, near the Catalina Highway, firefighters are doing prep along the road.

"What that means is that they created defensible space around thestructures," he said. "They also put pieces of hand line to tie the different pieces of the road system together because it is really steep."

The incident management team used infrared imaging Monday nightto gather the new acreage numbers.

The fire is at zero percent containment, but Coil said that number does not mean zero percent progress.

"When we call a section of the fire contained, it means that we have the fire's edge to a place we know will hold. That could be a road,a hand line, changes in terrain," he explained.

He said as far as effort, fire crews are giving 100 percent.

There are now nearly 600firefightersworking the Burro Fire. On Monday, there were 185.

Coil said it is "possible, not probable" the Burro Fire will grow to be as large as the 2003Aspen Fire. He said the Aspen Fire started earlier in the yearthan the Burro Fire.

"The predicted information from the weather service aboutwhen the monsoons are supposed to come in,it doesn't appear that we have enough time for that type of fire growth to occur."

The town of Summerhaven was evacuated Monday morning. Coil said currently there is no "imminent threat" to Summerhaven.

Residents can pick up mail at the Ft Lowell Post Office, 6460 E Grant Road, between Costco and Target from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Residents can knock onthe Dutch door so they don't have to wait in line. The Post Office will be closed Tuesday. Contact Burro Fire Information at 928-351-7537 for more information.

"The reason for the evacuations is not because we think there is an immediate threat to Summerhaven, but there is a threat to Summerhaven, but more importantly there is a significant likelihood that the road could be compromised."

The Catalina Highway at the base of Mt. Lemmon will remain closed to everyone until further notice.

An evacuation center has been set up at the Kirk-Bear Canyon Library, 8959 E Tanque Verde Road.

No cause has been released.

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UPDATE: Burro Fire grows but firefighters make progress; 11 perc - KVOA | KVOA.com | Tucson, Arizona - KVOA Tucson News