Valuable Websites on Fire and Drought

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

And the Fire Burns On

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

The Summer of Fire

Smoke from two regions of the Horseshoe Two Fire on 11 June 2011.  To the left is smoke from the West Turkey Creek area; to the right, from Whitetail Canyon. (Photos by Narca) Firefighters confronting the Horseshoe Two Fire in Arizona’s Chiricahua Mountains continue to … Continue readingThe Summer of Fire

Extremes

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

Whitetail Canyon: a Firsthand Account

by Wynne Brown, Guest Author All hell broke loose soon after I sent my last update. The wind picked up to 50-60 mph gusts that afternoon and blew so hard that it was hard to stand upright. The light in the Grills’ barnyard turned copper, … Continue readingWhitetail Canyon: a Firsthand Account

Walt Anderson’s Photos of Horseshoe Two

Walt Anderson is a long-time friend and fellow artist who teaches at Prescott College. He was in Chiricahua National Monument when the Horseshoe Two Fire jumped containment lines at Saulsbury Saddle and raged through Rustler and Barfoot Parks. His photos document that awesome, terrible event. … Continue readingWalt Anderson’s Photos of Horseshoe Two

Current Fire Strategy

Yesterday the wind was calmer, and fire crews working on the Horseshoe Two Fire (which has burned for more than a month in the Chiricahua Mountains) were able to gain some ground in their efforts to contain this fire. Today’s fire map shows the areas … Continue readingCurrent Fire Strategy

A Burning Question

As one of the hotshot fire crews finished their work at Rick and Lynne Taylor’s house in Whitetail Canyon, their neighbor walked past, and was asked this question: “What is the ratio of sugar to water for filling these hummingbird feeders?” Now that is an … Continue readingA Burning Question

Homecoming to the Horseshoe Two Fire

Yesterday evening as we dropped down Granite Gap into the San Simon Valley, plumes of smoke still churned from the Chiricahua Mountains. Homecoming is bittersweet. Smoke from Whitetail Canyon in the Chiricahua Mountains (Photos by Narca) Horseshoe Two continues to surge north and west, driven … Continue readingHomecoming to the Horseshoe Two Fire