The Florida Fire, which began July 7, 2005 in the Santa Rita Mountains to the south of Tucson, burned VERY close to Madera Canyon before it was finally extinguished. The fire reached the road to Madera Canyon, and much of the area to the east of this road has been burned. Firefighters were able to save Madera Canyon itself, which is very fortunate, because this riparian canyon is beloved by bird-watchers for its numerous species of hummingbirds, Elegant Trogons (Trogon elegans), and wide variety of other birds.

With the summer monsoon rains, the burned area is now green with grass and sprouting wildflowers, although many of the trees and shrubs are dead or dying.