Today while participating in the annual census of Elegant Trogons in the Chiricahua Mountains, I had the opportunity to go into South Fork with a firefighter, Dario Villarreal, as high as the burn. What I saw couldn’t have looked better! South Fork burn (Photos by … Continue readingBurn in South Fork
At last night’s community meeting in Portal regarding the Horseshoe Fire, the fire team gave us a glimpse into how their strategies are built. Sam Amato (an analyst of long-term fire behavior) has modeled the fire, using local topography, weather patterns, and knowledge of fire … Continue readingHorseshoe Fire: Strategies
Fire briefing on June 17 (Photos by Narca) The fire crew, which is working to contain the Horseshoe Fire that continues to burn in the Chiricahua Wilderness, assembled at six this morning for its daily briefing. Yesterday’s hot, dry, windy conditions did indeed light up … Continue readingActive Day for Horseshoe Fire
With over 80% of its rainforest intact, Guyana holds splendid riches for travelers who wish to explore those towering forests. After first journeying there on a “fam” tour, I return as soon as possible for more in-depth scouting with Alan and our friends, Noel Snyder … Continue readingGuyana’s Emerald Forest
The community meeting originally set for tonight has been rescheduled for tomorrow night at 7 PM at the Portal Fire & Rescue classroom. We’ll learn then how yesterday’s attempt fared, when a crew was to be dropped in to work a fire line along the … Continue readingFire Meeting Rescheduled for Thursday
At this morning’s fire briefing in Portal, USFS District Ranger Bill Edwards spoke of a shift in strategy from letting the Horseshoe Fire burn through exceedingly rugged terrain in the Chiricahua Mountains, to an attempt today to restrain its downslope movement along the eastern margin … Continue readingStrategy Shift for Horseshoe Fire
The Horseshoe Fire still burns in the Chiricahua Wilderness, working its way northeast along the ridge leading toward Portal Peak. As of this morning, about 2900 acres had burned, and the fire still stands at 25% containment. Horseshoe Fire on June 13 This fire map … Continue readingQuick Horseshoe Fire Update
Ron Allicock, a very skilled Macushi guide from the deep Guyanan rainforest, emailed me that a Harpy Eagle nest near his village now holds one young chick. (Isn’t it amazing how email now connects someone in a remote Amazonian thatched cottage to another person in … Continue readingGuyana’s Harpy Eagle Nest!
This morning’s fire map shows the northerly movement through yesterday of the Horseshoe Fire. Today’s moderately strong winds have been driving the fire further north than this map depicts, although not at a very fast rate. For reference, the blue box on the map is … Continue readingHorseshoe Fire Slowly Pushes Northeast
Yesterday’s milder winds drove the Horseshoe Fire a ways north along the spine of the Chiricahua Mountains. The fire encountered rocky bluffs which limited its northward spread and, to the east, sparse vegetation which limited its downslope spread. In the critically important South Fork Canyon, … Continue readingHorseshoe Fire Behavior