Well.........here we go again

Lindaloo · #41 Postby **Lindaloo** » Tue Jul 15, 2003 2:18 pm

It is getting worse for Dennis. There is now a fire right on top of his home. So close he even got a pic of the "sky crane" I hate that feeling of not being able to do anything to help.

therock1811 · #42 Postby **therock1811** » Tue Jul 15, 2003 2:21 pm

He just posted this in OT:

WE HAVE A NEW FIRE........JUST A HOP, SKIP AND A JUMP FROM THE HOUSE! I've sent some of you photos of the Sky Crane cruising directly over the house, this fire is a result of the collapsing Pyro, it created a MONSTER fire storm and flung hot embers over 2 miles away...........this IS the last post, we're outta here, prelim mandatory evac underway in about 2 hours, we're on road block duty today, tonight!

That is what Lindaloo was just talking about! Keep him and all of Pinetop in your prayers tonight!

GulfBreezer · #43 Postby **GulfBreezer** » Tue Jul 15, 2003 3:00 pm

I just spoke with Dennis and him and Michelle are leaving now to go work the roadblocks, they will be totally out of pocket until they get done. Things look really bad for them so lets keep the prayers a flyin'!!
Godspeed Dennis!!

#44 Postby **azskyman** » Tue Jul 15, 2003 6:23 pm

A tiny bit of optimism...maybe too much of it too soon, but some at the fire scene have said that lighter winds and winds changing direction are blowing the fire back unto itself and that this has bought some time to set up more protection around the populated areas.

Way too soon to suggest anyone is out of trouble...but at least here in Phoenix some reports seem to shed a little optimism.

Lindaloo · #45 Postby **Lindaloo** » Tue Jul 15, 2003 7:05 pm

They reported that on CBS news at 5:30 central Steve. They even mentioned the Rodeo-Chediski fire that happened last year. They showed footage of them evacuating and show them evacuating yet again. They were showing children in the back of pickup trucks fleeing with only blankets. I am glad that CBS aired the footage. It will give people some sense of what is really going on and has gone on due to people setting these fires. There are no laws stiff enough to punish those who do this.

azsnowman · #46 Postby **azsnowman** » Tue Jul 15, 2003 9:09 pm

Break time........came home for a few hours, the situation grows worse with each passing hour, the fire is now at 10600 acres with 0% containment, the outlook, grim............

Steve, the winds did shift but only for a few minutes, the pyros that built collapsed, estimated winds within the fire, 80 mph+, that's the reason for the huge growth, as of 1400 hrs, the fire was at 6800 acres.........

The spot fire was hit very hard with the Sky Crane, seems to have eased off a little. We have Pinetop, Lakeside, ShowLow, Prescott, Snowflake, Holbrook, Winslow, Casa Grande, Florence Fire Depts along with Silver City, Heber, Black Mesa, Albq Hot Shots digging, bulldozing fire breaks along the base of Pinetop Mountain (the mountain seen in most of my shots just out my back door, approx 1/4 mile from my house), they are cutting a 75' fire line with the dozers, hand crews are falling, bucking trees on both sides of the line.

As of this hour, 1900 hrs...the winds have died down, rain..........less than .01", winds during the storm over 47 MPH gusts. The smoke and ash is unbelievable at this moment, air support is done for the night, crews will start their back burns at 2000 hrs, this could be interesting, the back burns will be less than a 1/4 mile from the house. The *offical* evac notice has yet to come, we've been on the roadblock duty waiting........the estimate now for the offical evac will be sometime in the morning, they are however asking ppl with small children, elderly, breathing problems to evac before nightfall, the inversion layer and the rise in humidity is going to cause the smoke to lay down in Pinetop, in fact, it already is......

We are going back out on the line in about an hour, it's time for a quick bite, sit for a second......

southerngale · #47 Postby **southerngale** » Wed Jul 16, 2003 1:34 am

Oh man, I just now saw this. Dennis, you have my prayers......lots of them!!!

Please be careful!!!!!!!!!!!

M2 · #48 Postby M2 » Wed Jul 16, 2003 1:36 am

Just heard on the news that the fire's doubled in size since last night and
is now at 13,000 acres.

weatherlover427 · #49 Postby **weatherlover427** » Wed Jul 16, 2003 2:13 am

:o :o :o

EEK!!!!!! Dennis or someone, any updates??!!

azsnowman · #50 Postby **azsnowman** » Wed Jul 16, 2003 7:14 am

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Morning,

Well folks, today is *make it or break it* day....with the new day dawning, a little more optimistic feeling is in the air. The fire is by NO MEANS out, in fact, 10% containment, 13,200 acres now, another very active night of fire behavior, low dewpoints, very low humidity kept the fire running.

As DJ said with the Aspen Fire in Tucson, "Do not believe everything you hear, everything you read!" The media is *downplaying* the situation this year, with just cause I might add, with the panic situation they caused last year, they were told to *cool it*, people are in panic mode as it is, they don't need to add fuel to the fire so to speak.

The fire is now within .75 mile from the *trigger point*......it could breach that as early as 0900 and the true mandatory evacs will happen....let's pray it doesn't, but playing the devils advocate as I seem to do these days, I look for it to happen when the sun heats things up, say around 0830.

DJ'S *good friend and buddy* Larry Humphreys has a website up, good maps and info http://www.fireground.com

Let's keep our fingers x'd and keep the prayers a comin'..........let's hope by tonights update that the fire is slowing and the containment is up!

Dennis

#51 Postby **azskyman** » Wed Jul 16, 2003 7:41 am

Dennis...indeed there needs to be some control of the fire this day, as winds on Thursday and Friday are expected to become stronger and more erratic. Rain may help, but winds without rain certainly will not.

Thanks for the update and good luck today.

azsnowman · #52 Postby **azsnowman** » Wed Jul 16, 2003 7:47 am

I just pulled up the website..........I don't understand, I witnessed the plume collapse, I measured the outflow from it, they said it didn't collapse, Hmmmm???

I know.....I just read that in the NAFD Flag Steve......boy, I don't know!

Dennis

therock1811 · #53 Postby **therock1811** » Wed Jul 16, 2003 8:14 am

They don't have all the info... they shoulda talked to you, you said you saw it, I don't understand.
This is it, I think (but hope it isn't). Good lucik today and stay safe!

azsnowman · #54 Postby **azsnowman** » Wed Jul 16, 2003 8:40 am

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JUST IN......THIS ISN'T GOOD!!! All hopes are down the drain.....the latest IR imag shows a 20,000 plume building already, it's 0640....I can see the HUGE plume from my kitchen window, thick, heavy black smoke rising........the suns not on the fire yet.....a Hot Shot crew maybe trapped.....PRAY!

#55 Postby **Stephanie** » Wed Jul 16, 2003 8:47 am

I hope they can get out of there!! :o

therock1811 · #56 Postby **therock1811** » Wed Jul 16, 2003 9:24 am

I hope so too!!!!! That has to be scary!!!!!!! :o :o :o :o :o

raine · #57 Postby **raine** » Wed Jul 16, 2003 10:14 am

Praying in overdrive for you and yours, that Hot Shot crew, friends and neighbors, and the firefighters....

Today HAS to be a better day...it just HAS to be...in the name of Jesus I ask this! Amen

Take care Dennis and Michelle,

Raine and company

azsnowman · #58 Postby **azsnowman** » Wed Jul 16, 2003 10:27 am

TODAY: Can expect plume dominance again today so crews will be on the alert for changing conditions. Crowning can be expected with flame lenths of 100 to 200 feet. The communities of Cradleboard, Over the Rainbow and Jurassic Park are still threatened by westward movement of the fire. Portions of Whiteriver and a major power line are also threatened.
WEATHER: Given the short-term predicted forecast we can expect to see substantial fire spread today. Thunder cell activity is expected to the north and west of the fire. Last night the National Weather Service could see the smoke column rise to 20,000 feet in the air.

PERSONNEL: Approximately 750 personnel are committed to the fire and more resources are on the way. An additional Type One Incident Management Team from Alaska has been ordered and will standby in the Show Low and Pinetop Lakeside area.

azsnowman · #59 Postby **azsnowman** » Wed Jul 16, 2003 10:31 am

The power line that is threatened is the main one for Pinetop also, we could loose power here very soon, no A/C, temps are already in the upper 80's as I post this.......

The Hot Shot Crew is OUT! Praise the Lord! If no other good news comes out of the fire today, that's OK......

I can see and hear the bulldozers building line just behind the house at this moment, a comforting sight and sound indeed!

Dennis

weatherlover427 · #60 Postby **weatherlover427** » Wed Jul 16, 2003 10:45 am

Not good at all. I have said a prayer just now and will think of you while at work. :cry:

Well.........here we go again

Kinishba Fire

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