Not Good, Not Good at All!!

Colin · #21 Postby **Colin** » Fri Jun 20, 2003 11:17 am

Very scary and I'm praying for everyone in the path of these fires... and I also hope you guys don't have to evacuate your homes! :o

southerngale · #22 Postby **southerngale** » Fri Jun 20, 2003 11:28 am

Devastating Fires Hit Arizona One Year Ago

Image courtesy of Landsat 7 Science Team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Photo by Jesse Allen.

Nearly a year ago, the Southwest U.S. was in the midst of an extremely active and deadly fire season. The Rodeo (left) and Chediski (right) fires in east-central Arizona are visible in this image, taken on June 21, 2002.

Over the weekend of June 22 and 23, 2002, the two blazes merged into one 400,000 acre fire, the largest in Arizona's history. In the last week of June and much of July, the town of Show Low, Arizona sustained major damage. 400 homes were destroyed and 30,000 residents were forced to evacuate their homes.

This false-color view from the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) aboard the Landsat 7 satellite shows the active perimeter of the fires in yellow and vegetation in green.

Let's all pray that these fires don't get as bad as the ones last year.

azsnowman · #23 Postby **azsnowman** » Fri Jun 20, 2003 1:57 pm

The true #'s have just come out for the evacuation and loss of homes, 426 homes, 50,235 residents (me included) were evac'd. Final tally on acreage burned, 467,890.

I don't know.......I've been watching the winds down there, this IS NOT good!!!!

Another fire, the Picture Fire near Roosevelt lake is expected to grow some 8-10 miles today with the winds.

DJ, Steve.......any updates from your end???

Dennis

Colin · #24 Postby **Colin** » Fri Jun 20, 2003 2:06 pm

Man... sorry you had to evacuate! :cry:

Hopefully this fire will be contained and you'll be able to move back into your home ASAP! :o I'm praying for you folks!

#25 Postby **Aslkahuna** » Fri Jun 20, 2003 2:45 pm

of the Aspen fire is the Bullock fire burn area from last year which totalled 30000 acres and threatened Summerhaven so Mt. Lemmon has really been ravaged and the vacation retreat for Tucsonans destroyed because of a nimrod. The Helen 2 fire, a lightning start in the Rincons is also out of control-it's in the Saguaro NP East and is burning critical habitat for the Peregrine Falcons, and AZSnow's favorite dish- Spotted Owl. Gov. Napolitano has called again for Forest Thinning which places her, a Democrat, at odds with her Liberal friends in the environmental movement. Bottom line, what we are seeing is Nature's answer to radical environmentalism-western Forests and brushlands NEED to thinned-
otherwise when the forest is so dense we get crown fires which leave nothing. Saw an interesting roadsign on my way down AZ83 to Sonoita yesterday-it said "Grazing prevents Blazing".

Steve

Arizwx · #26 Postby **Arizwx** » Fri Jun 20, 2003 3:10 pm

This situation is totally OUT of CONTROL.!!
ZERO CONTAINMENT!What WAS to have been a 5 day partial containmnet as of early late WED is now THREE WEEKS!!!!!!!Do the math Folks.Its at 4500+acres...in very deep dangerous terrain,60mph winds..low Rh,and a North Move puts the Aspen right into the Town of Oracle,near the BiosphereII by my math Poss Monday/Tues at this rate.This would be DEVASTATING..Oracle is the Split to Apache Junction/Tom Mix Hwy to Mesa/E PHX and the Cross over to Globe/Miami and Pinetop/Canyon Lakes/Roosevelt Dam for me from Oro Valley.This with 4 th of July coming folks!No No on the Fireworks..no Boat Traffic(of which we have many thousands each season to the White Mtns)...Bye Bye Holiday $$$.
Which we as a State NEED to fight these monsters.
Now then.If this fire is not being actively fought toady as I have learned,the Chiefs in Charge are Split.There is the Political Conatainment Group and the Real Fire Containment Groups literally Re-grouping.
What happened was essentially a small version of what NEARLY happened to Show-Low and Pinetop last year..more on the order of Heber or Overgard.
This is a VERY Dangerous situation..politically as Bush puts forward his Logging/Healthy Forest Initiatives based on Gov 'Bozo'Jane Hull and Napolitano(a Lawyer) has NO say in this issue.None.The Envirnmentalists now are screaming for attn(as per ususal,,they B!tch but have NO Solutions)and the Reps have a Zero State Budget to come to Wash DC with..the BLM is hunkered down.the Red Cross is Broke,Pima Co(Tuc) is now footing most of the Bill,as well as local Churches,Synagagoues in Tuc.
Moreover..the 'Who Done It' questions are really hitting the fan.
I have a few ideas..and at this time Dennis..it seems TOO unlikely that these Fires are happening on SIGNiFICANT /Historical (aka MEDIA)Dates.
The Wx Conditions TOO perfect..progged by pro Firebugs ..Yes Arson is my guess at this point.A Cabin Burned 2 weeks ago in the SAME area of Mt Lemmon..just W of Inspiration Rock..where the MEDIA sets camp.
I dont like this at all..and my guess is this:IF there is a Media/Crisis Firebug Junkie out there...his next stop may be in your neck of the woods.
Thats a wild assertion to some...but the fact add up.We shall see.
Meantime,the winds are howling here well past 35Kt..SSw expecting more wind.The Mountain from my vantage point appears nearly crippled.It looks like Mt St Helens from my home..the Pyro exploding with winds now NNW to 55kt at the Crest...it is the Titanic of Wildifires.
Arrogance+Ignorance=Disaster
BTW..yesterday would have been my 21st wedding anniversary.This has been a tough week.Loss loss loss.Its gotta get better soon.

Temp 99F Rh 19% winds 22kt G 40kt SSw at 13:10PDT/20Jun03
oro valley..az

http://www.kvoa.com/weather/wxcam.html

azsnowman · #27 Postby **azsnowman** » Fri Jun 20, 2003 5:29 pm

Keep us posted DJ......my God, this is so unreal! Our neighbor JUST got home today from the Thomas Fire, he's a crew boss for the Black Mesa Hot Shots (best damn Hot Shot Crew in the states IMHO, of course, I'm a little prejudice, that's Michelles old squad!) ANYWAYS, they have to give them 48 hours off then off they go down there, they will be dispatched on Sunday!

Now.......Steve, I like my owl med well with KC Master Piece Mesquite Flavor BBQ Sauce, sorry, don't mean to make fun, this is NOT a laughing matter!

Dennis

#28 Postby **Aslkahuna** » Fri Jun 20, 2003 5:58 pm

you're right-this is NOT a laughing matter. For starters, we need RAIN desperately-however, I looked at the GFS this morning and it says NO monsoon through July 6th-the deep trough over the Eastern US is keeping the STR from bridging across which is what we need for a good monsoon flow-additionally, and this is 100% BAD news, the GFS also has ANOTHER western trough coming across just after the holiday for MORE dry SW winds. The second thing we need to do is to run Robin Silver and his Fellow Travelers (and I mean that in the 1950's definition for those who know your History) out of the Country on a rail-Tarred and Feathered would be nice too. There are true environmentalists and then there are the Robin Silvers who use the environment to pursue their radical agenda and we would not be at this juncture if it were not for them.

Steve
:grr:

Arizwx · #29 Postby **Arizwx** » Fri Jun 20, 2003 6:10 pm

I dont mind the humour Dennis..However..imagine this a year ago.I really dont beleive that ppl understand the MAGNITUDE of this Fire!!!
Dammit..this is frustrating.Just because it is so close to me and a beautiful Metro Area does NOT mean that this is not a MAJOR CATASPROPHE in the making.let me be clear.I am no alarmist..never have been,ask kahuna.
If anything..I'm DOWNPLAYING THIS.
Here is the nitty gritty.By my calculations and reading beteween the lines of Press Conf discussions..this fire WILL ECLIPSE the Bullock Fire of One Yr ago..that means 35,000 acres++ AND if one reads the REAL Conf discussions...they are basically saying NO containment until the MONSOON!Do the math.
Check This OUT! TUS Doppler Shot..yes plz zoom/loop NE of Oro Valley.There is a Pyro CB!!!

http://weather.noaa.gov/radar/loop/DS.p ... kemx.shtml

WOW!

http://www.cs.arizona.edu/camera/

This is a disaster.

azsnowman · #30 Postby **azsnowman** » Fri Jun 20, 2003 7:33 pm

Yes, ppl have NO IDEA as to how serious this is.....they interviewed a gentleman just a few minutes ago on Channel 3 KTVK Phoenix, he was crying uncontrolably, I know the feeling, total despair, a feeling like no other. He and other vowed to rebuild after all is said and done.

NOW.....to Robin Silver and the Southwest Center For Biological Diversity, THIS time it's on THEIR home turf, maybe they should ship their sorry butts UP there along with Kerin Suckling and the rest of the SOB'S from SWCBD and let THEM fight this fire.

One last rant.......why the hell hasn't the USDA Forest Service in their infinite wisdom closed the forests to public access? To heck with the general public on this matter, it's time to CLOSE all the National Forests in Az until the monsoons arrive!

Dennis

Arizwx · #31 Postby **Arizwx** » Fri Jun 20, 2003 7:40 pm

TY Dennis..I just phoned Paul Huttner Chief OCM/MET at KGUN9TV here on TUcson...he thanked me with the WSR-88-D reflective loop.VERY impressive!Paul knows me as a Storm Chaser and used the Doppler loop on his 5pm news seg.Also..I watched Peter Jennings in ABC and Dan Rather.they KNOW this is DAM Serious!
Amazing..another 500 homes in harms way and NOTHING to stop it!

PTrackerLA · #32 Postby **PTrackerLA** » Fri Jun 20, 2003 8:08 pm

I saw the fires on the news tonight, very impressive and and frightening. I really hope yall are safe and please do not put yourself in danger of being stranded. I wish we could send yall some rain, I know the SE has lots to spare! Try to take some good pics as well.

weatherlover427 · #33 Postby **weatherlover427** » Fri Jun 20, 2003 8:53 pm

To heck with the pics, save your lives and your loved ones' before anything else! :o

ColdFront77 · #34 Postby **ColdFront77** » Fri Jun 20, 2003 10:06 pm

From what I have seen on TV and heard here... this is a very serious situation. I wish you the best of luck, Dennis and other Arizonians.

M2 · #35 Postby M2 » Fri Jun 20, 2003 11:19 pm

As of 9:15 pm Friday night, the fire has eaten 5000 acres, 260+ homes and most businesses on the south side of Summerhaven. The Alpine Lodge is gone, the Rainbow is gone - it's just about ALL gone... Skykes Nob and Soldier Camp is expected to be gone overnight - the firefighters have been withdrawn after trying to do a small control burn around the area to preserve more homes and cabins. This is horrific. Another windy day on tap for Saturday; winds now blowing Northeast AWAY from Tucson and the northwest suburbs - towards the towns of San Manuel on the backside. BTW, none of any of us have houses or homes anywhere in its path so we're ok ourselves. This is just our 'backyard' so to speak... The fire is at 9,000+ ft elevation; Tucson and surrounding areas are around 2500-3000 ft. so there is a good 6000+ ft elevation separation plus good mileage between it and the rest of the 'city' as this is in the middle of the mountains north of town.

#36 Postby **Aslkahuna** » Fri Jun 20, 2003 11:33 pm

the Forests and all Public Lands WERE Closed to public access when Valinda Jo and her compatriot decided that their good time was more important than Public welfare and the Forests and she wound up starting the Chediski for which she was allowed to take her sorry a** out of AZ scot free instead of being shot as she should have been. All of this is making me rapidly become anti-environmentalist totally as I don't like the Company that being concerned for the environment puts me in-I have never like Communists and never will and that's what people like Silver and Suckling (pig)(which he should be, roasted over an open fire) are I refuse to associate mysel with any cause they support. I have also lost all sympathy for the illegals and agree with my son that the Military should be put on the Border (though I don't quite go as far as my son's friend, who happens to be Black, that they be shot on sight) and that illegals should be imprisoned and made to clean up their messes and fight the fires they start.

Steve

azsnowman · #37 Postby **azsnowman** » Fri Jun 20, 2003 11:42 pm

I know but........with the hundreds of ppl up here this weekend I am SO afraid that some nimrod is gonna toss a butt out the window, leave a campfire unattended etc. 99.9% of these folks that come up here have NO regard what so ever for our homeland, come to mountains, do as they damn well please and to hel* with you mountain hicks!!

As far as the illegal issue, I couldn't agree with you more Steve, shoot, ask questions later!

Dennis

M2 · #38 Postby M2 » Fri Jun 20, 2003 11:51 pm

We were going to buzz up to Big Lake and Crescent Lakes & Greer to go fishing this weekend...which is now off. And you're right, they should close the forests but the business need the cash and if they close, everyone loses the sorely-needed income. The temps will be down for one more week, but the winds will be up (i.e. dry, windy, a fire waiting to happen). I agree; any nimrod who tosses a butt should have theirs (butts) removed. Trouble is, there are too many braindead turkeys driving around, staring straight ahead, not blinking, mouths agape ---totally unaware of themselves, others or their surroundings. Take a look from your cars sometimes - it would amaze you.

The border is another issue altogether...so don't get me started...."SIEVE" is a kind word.

weatherlover427 · #39 Postby **weatherlover427** » Fri Jun 20, 2003 11:51 pm

That's all it takes with tinder dry conditions is one lit cigarette but and BOOM - there is the fire.

Arizwx · #40 Postby **Arizwx** » Sat Jun 21, 2003 12:01 am

Sorry Freinds of the Board..we AridZonis are just abit miffed
Im off to the El Conqistador...they need help...families to be 86ed by Monday PM...I have work to do!PRAY for Oracle!

SUPPORT THE 600 BRAVE FIREFIGHTERS!!!!!!!!!
1.000+ by Sunday!!!GO FIREFIGHTERS!!!!

Not Good, Not Good at All!!

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