Tales from the Morgue: Summerhaven endangered by fire [View all]

[Ptah]

Tucsonans will not forget the Aspen fire in 2003 that wreaked havoc on
Summerhaven and much of the Catalinas. That certainly wasn't the first
time the community on Mt. Lemmon was threatened with destruction.

A similar event happened in 1946. The "first major blaze" of the season
was thought to have been caused by a careless camper who left a campfire unattended.

From the Arizona Daily Star, May 6, 1946:

Blazing Forest Endangering Community Atop Mt. Lemmon
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Fire Visible from Tucson After Dark; 100 Men Battle Flames as Hundred-Acre Tract Of Forest Land Is Destroyed
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A forest fire, plainly visible from Tucson after dark, burned high in the Catalina mountains, dangerously close to the Summerhaven community atop Mt. Lemmon yesterday, and in less than 12 hours destroyed 100 acres of forest land. It was the first major blaze this season.