The Horton Fire burning northeast of Payson has burned 928 acres as of Dec. 27 and has caused the closure of an area, including the Tonto Creek Fish Hatchery, in the Tonto and Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests.

The closure will remain in place through Jan. 31, 2025, according to authorities.

"The public is asked to avoid the fire area,” read a Tonto National Forest statement. “The purpose of the closure order is to protect public health and safety during the Horton Fire, and to protect assigned firefighting personnel engaging in wildland firefighting operations.”

  more...

On Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, detectives with the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) Gang & Immigration Intelligence Team Enforcement Mission (GIITEM) arrested two suspects on drug and weapons related charges and seized 80 firearms from a Tucson residence and several storage units.

Detectives served a search warrant on a residential property near 5th Avenue and Rosemont Boulevard on Friday morning following an investigation related to illegal drug activity. Additional search warrants were also served at a nearby storage facility tied to one of the suspects.

During service of the residential warrant, detectives located heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl on the property.

  more...

Location: Southwest of Sunflower Start Date: 07/22/2023 Cause: Under investigation
Size: 5,060 acres Containment: 50% Total Personnel: 90

Operational Update:
The Tonto National Forest Type 3 organization assumed command of the fire yesterday while the Southwest Incident Management Team demobilized from the incident. With the transition there was a significant decrease in resources from the fire. The type 3 team will staff the incident and continue with containment efforts, particularly on the southwest to northwest portion of the fire. This area is in very steep, rugged, rocky terrain and is still incredibly difficult for firefighters to access with a few heat signatures still lingering.

  more...

On June 19, 2023, shortly after 11:30 a.m., an Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) state trooper stopped the driver of a Kia sedan near 21st Avenue and Thomas Road. During the traffic stop, the suspect driver opened fire on the trooper, striking him once. The suspect fled the scene in the vehicle. Phoenix Police located the vehicle, and the suspect was involved in a pursuit and shooting with Phoenix officers before crashing the vehicle into a wall near 36th Avenue and Virginia Avenue. The suspect was pronounced deceased on the scene.

  more...

On the morning of Friday, June 2, 2023, an Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) Drug Enforcement and Investigations Bureau trooper initiated a traffic stop on a 2015 Honda Accord passenger car on northbound Interstate 19 at kilometer 54 near Amado, Arizona. During the traffic stop, the trooper observed multiple indicators of criminal activity. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed approximately 229.8 pounds of fentanyl pills and 9.65 pounds of cocaine hidden within the vehicle.

The drugs were being smuggled from Sonora, Mexico, to Phoenix, Arizona.

  more...

TUCSON, Ariz.— U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) crews conducted a high-altitude rescue of an injured U.S. Citizen hiker who spent the night on the mountain.

On April 4th, at around 5:30 a.m., the Tucson Air Branch received a call for aid from the Pima County Search and Rescue (SAR) coordinator. Members of Pima Country SAR team had responded to a call for an injured United States Citizen (USC) who had fallen the day before (April 3rd). The hiker complained of multiple injuries and was unable to traverse the terrain back down the mountain that evening. Pima County SAR team members found the hiker on the night of April 3rd and stayed with her overnight to minimize hypothermia.

  more...