Sacaton Fire Active 2026

On the afternoon of Sunday, June 21, the Mogollon Baldy lookout detected a lightning-caused fire on Sacaton Mountain (elevation 10,658 feet) in the Gila Wilderness. The fire, which is on the Glenwood Ranger District, was initially about 4.5 miles west of the lookout tower. 

Firefighters quickly conducted an aerial assessment and estimated the fire—burning in brush, timber, logs, and snags—was about 2 acres and exhibiting moderate fire behavior. By late evening, the lookout reported the fire had grown to approximately 4 acres.

The fire’s location presents extreme risks to both ground and aerial firefighters: It is burning among numerous snags, a dense tangle of fallen trees, and thick brush regeneration from the 2012 Whitewater-Baldy Fire. The landscape is very rugged and steep (e.g., 40–60 percent slopes). Safety zones and escape routes are nonexistent. Emergency extraction times would be unacceptably long (i.e., 6+ hours) and logistically difficult. High-elevation flying, especially during hot weather, is very hazardous and an unacceptable transfer of risk to the pilot.

Direct tactics are being considered where the fire is threatening identified values, such as the Mogollon Baldy Lookout, if the risks to firefighters’ safety can be adequately mitigated and if the probability of success is high. The immediate values at risk do not include private property.

Smoke from the Sacaton Fire is visible from all directions and at great distances.