Breakdown of how the Bighorn Fire 'behaves'

Fire expert explains how Bighorn grew in size and spread on the Catalinas

-- NINE ON YOUR SIDE'S ROGELIOMARES SPOKE WITH AN EXPERT ONTHE SCIENCE OF FIRES -- AND HENOW JOINS US LIVE FROM THEBASE OF MT.

LEMMON.

ROGELIO.THAT EXPERT TOLD ME TODAY THISFIRE HAD A NUMBER OF FACTORSTHAT CONTRIBUTED TO HOW BIGIT'S BEEN AND WHERE IT'SBURNED ON THE MOUNTAINS.THE CREWS FIGHTING THE BELOWHAVE HAD HELP FROMMETEOROLOGISTS WHO ARE USINGINFORMATION THEY GET FROMSATELLITES -- VERY HIGH IN THESKY.

SOT THEY TAKE THATINFORMATION AND THEY RUNTHROUGH THE COMPUTER MODELSAND THAT GIVES US SOME SENSEOF WHAT THE BEHAVIOR MIGHT BE,WHERE IT MIGHT SPREAD.

08SECMOLLY HUNTER -- A SPOKESPERSONFOR THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENTTEAM AND HERSELF A RESEARCHERAT THE U-OF-A SAYS THE BIGHORNFIRE HAS BEEN PATCHY.

SOTTHERE'S WHAT WE CALL A MOSAICOF FIRE BEHAVIOR, AND A MOSAICOF FIRE EFFECTS.

05SEC IN SOMESPOTS DURING THE DAY SHE SAYSIT BURNS WITH FIERCEINTENSITY.

SOT AT NIGHT, WHENIT'S BURNING, IT TENDS TO SORTOF SMOLDER AND BURN WITH LOWERINTENSITY.

05SEC HUNTER SAYSTHREE COMPONENTS HAVE BEENACTIVE IN THE BEHAVIOR OF THEBIGHORN FIRE.

SOT FUELS,WEATHER AND TOPOGRAPHY, ALL OFTHOSE THINGS TOGETHER COMBINEDINFLUENCE WHERE THE FIRE ISSPREADING AND HOT IT ISSPREADING.

09SEC THE FIRE --HUNTER SAYS -- FEEDS ONVEGETATION, LOGS AND ANYTHINGIN ITS PATH.

SOT AS THE FIREMOVES THROUGH AN AREA, ITBURNS UP THE FUEL.

05SEC FUELIS ONE WAY -- HUNTER SAYS --CREWS ARE KEEPING THE FIREAWAY FROM STRUCTURES IN THECATALINAS.

SOT BY LIGHTING AFIRE UNDER CONDITIONS THAT AREOPTIMAL FOR THEM THAT THEY CANCONTROL THAT SORT OF ROBS THEFIRE OF FUEL AND IT'LL KEEP ITOUT OF AN AREA THAT YOU DON'TWANT IT TO BURN.

12SEC HUNTERSAYS CREWS DID JUST THATPROTECT AN OBSERVATORY IN THEMOUNTAINS.HUNTER TOLD ME A WET WINTERALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS FIRE-- LEADING TO LOTS OFVEGETATION THAT BY NOW HASGOTTEN DRY AND PROVIDED ITWITH MORE TO BURN.

REPORTINGLIVE, ROGELIO MARES KGUN9 ONYOUR SIDE.EVACUATIONS -- STILL UNDERWAYTONIGHT -- AS THE CREWSCONTINUE TO BATTLE THIS BY NOWHAS GOTTEN DRY AND PROVIDED ITWITH MORE TO BURN.

REPORTINGLIVE, ROGELIO MARES KGUN9 ONYOUR SIDE.EVACUATIONS -- ST