Last night at dusk I stepped onto the balcony of our Roundhouse, and Lesser Nighthawks were drifting silently all around in the dim light, floating in the still air, suddenly quick as they found an insect. How very peaceful. Life is returning to its deep, … Continue readingA Night of Nighthawks
I’m trying to restrain that feeling of relief, just in case the Horseshoe Two Fire has more surprises in store, but as of this morning the beast is 90% contained and burning only at the north end in fuels that are increasingly sparse and discontinuous. … Continue readingRelief, Tempered
Yesterday’s raging wind, which gusted to about 50 mph, created serious challenges for fire crews working on both the Horseshoe Two and the Monument Fires. In the Chiricahuas, those lines actually held! Incident Commander Jim Thomas congratulated the firefighters, saying that the success was the … Continue readingWow! The Fire Lines Held!
Last night and early this morning, fire crews working at the north end of the Horseshoe Two Fire in the Chiricahua Mountains were able to tie in a line from Emigrant Canyon to Buckhorn Basin and to strengthen this line before the wind arrived. You … Continue readingQuick Update on Horseshoe Two
While I await more up-to-date information on the Horseshoe Two Fire, click HERE for an excellent article by Tom Beal, Fernanda Echavarri, and Tim Steller of the Arizona Daily Star on the Monument Fire. The Star is updating its website regularly. Today’s winds are causing … Continue readingMonument Fire Article
Progress continues on containing the Horseshoe Two Fire (now at 184,198 acres) in the Chiricahua Mountains, although challenging conditions also continue as we face another red flag day, when winds from the southwest are expected to gust above 35 mph. At the 6 AM briefing to fire … Continue readingThe Fires, Mainly Horseshoe Two
Barfoot Park, long loved by birders, herpetologists, boy scouts, and hikers in the Chiricahua Mountains, has been designated a National Natural Landmark in a directive signed yesterday by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. It joins 590 other locations which have received this honor since the program … Continue readingBarfoot Now a National Natural Landmark
Amy Stirrup brought this website to my attention: http://www.azein.gov. It has more complete information on the three raging Arizona wildfires than can be found on inciweb. The Monument Fire, in particular, has been frustratingly difficult to learn about. Another very interesting website monitors drought across … Continue readingValuable Websites on Fire and Drought
The meterologist at today’s fire briefing said that winds will again blow today at 20-25 mph, creating squirrelly conditions in some of the canyons, especially in West Turkey Creek and Pinery. Heat is increasing and will be over 90º today, with extremely low relative humidity … Continue readingAnd the Fire Burns On
At last night’s community meeting with the fire team, Rich Harvey (an incident commander) emphasized the extremes which the firefighters are encountering in their dealings with the Horseshoe Two fire––unprecedented in his 32 years of experience. (Very likely, firefolk on the Wallow and Murphy Complex … Continue readingExtremes