The week-old wildfires on Mount Graham rage on, but the $200 million UA observatory on the mountain may stay safe, even though the fire is less than a mile away.
The Gibson (started by lightning on June 22) and Nuttall (started by lightning on June 26) fires are 10 percent contained, according to a representative at the Nuttall Fire Complex, but they are moving ever closer to the small towns of Columbine and Turkey Flats, as well as the observatory.
The Mount Graham International observatory holds three telescopes, including a large binocular telescope that will be the most powerful optical telescope in the world when - and if - it becomes fully functional in 2007.
The fire is currently less than three-quarters of a mile away, but astronomers and firefighters are optimistic because of the extra protection it has.
This protection includes a sprinkler system that is pumping 10,000 gallons of water a night into grounds surrounding the observatory and a 200-foot defensible space around the complex to decrease the fire's force.
Incident commander Dan Oltrogge predicted that the fires could grow as large as 25,000 to 30,000 acres before the end of the night. Although no structures have been lost yet, firefighters can't stop the fire; they can only hope to contain it. Monsoon weather will be the only way to stop the blaze.
As of July 2, the fire had cost $4.2 million to fight. That figure includes the cost of more than 1,000 personnel, 18 hotshot crews, 11 helicopters and two air tankers.
The air tankers returned yesterday, along with more helicopters, but that will only buy a little time, according to the representative at the Nuttall Complex.
If the fire reached the observatory, the worst-case scenario would be a roaring crown fire, which would be propelled by strong winds across treetops. The best case would be a slow-burning fire that stayed close to the ground, Powell said.
The $120 million large binocular telescope, which recently installed the first of two mirrors, will gather light from 10 times further away than the Hubble Telescope. The UA, Ohio State University, the Italian astronomical community and others have helped fund the telescope. Astronomers have been planning the telescope for 20 years and started construction in 1996.
"For the first time, scientists and students will be able to look for planets outside of our solar system," Powell said. "Our faculty will use this facility, make new discoveries and share those discoveries with students."
The telescope will help in the search for life on other planets and in other solar systems, but astronomers are already losing precious preparation time.
"Right now we're losing day for day. If it burns and damages, we'll have to reassess. I'm hopeful this is a few days' or weeks' delay. I'm optimistic, but I don't know. The fire is out of control," Powell said.
Although the university is using its own money to truck up the thousands of gallons of water every day, the cost to do so is insignificant compared to the amount it would have to spend to rebuild the facility, Powell said.
Powell remained optimistic that it won't come to a point where the university is forced to pay to rebuild part of the observatory.
"We may suffer damage, but I think we will survive," Powell said.
Although the observatory is the most costly item in the fire's path, Powell said that there should be equal concern for the homes in nearby areas.
"One of the things we're very concerned about is our friends in the cabins. We're all in this together," he said.