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Sunday, June 12, 2011

The Monster Eating Arizona

You've heard of it by now, the Wallow Fire, that has gobbled up the eastern half of Arizona, almost. It has consumed about 433,000 acres so far and is still spreading as of this morning, with only a minute portion under control. The winds have been wreaking havoc in the mountainous terrain, making it difficult to extinguish. Two new towns have been told to evacuate, Springerville and Eager, making a total of around 10,000 people, and the fire has become the second largest in AZ history. It has now jumped the border and is in New Mexico, too.

Temporary shelters are being and have been set up, but if the fire gets into these small towns and consumes the houses, it will present grave problems for the residents.The Red Cross is calling for donations - HELP, if you can.

The Horseshoe II fire has consumed almost 200,000 acres in southern AZ, and the Arivaca fire near Tubac has burned up over 85,000 acres, but it is pretty well under control. The summer monsoon season with its lightning, winds, dust and rain hasn't yet begun. Another hot and windy day in eastern Arizona.

The Fire Monster is eating its way through the State.

5 comments:

  1. Thanks for the update. Socal gets its share of these, too, and we watch them live on TV sometimes through the night. The all-news radio station stops normal broadcasting and covers them for days at a time. If they are nearby, the air quality plummets and you get smoke and ash on the wind. We're having a reprieve now. You realize how much lives and property depend on the firefighters. Contributing to the Red Cross there is not a bad idea.

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  2. There is a lot of TV coverage on this fire with direct video and updates, but not continuous that I know of. Personally, I don't care for the Red Cross, but they do provide good emergency services for evacuees and the money is needed. Thanks, Ron.

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  3. OMG, I've been at the crime conference, cut off from all media except my own, and had no idea this was happening. I will turn on the TV ASAP.

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  4. I'm so sorry to hear how bad it has been. We actually drove right through that area on our recent trip. We saw signs of previous fires. I feel for everyone who has suffered.

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  5. Elaine, it has been covered by the national media for awhile now, and I'm sure you'll catch up on it. It is now (6/14) the largest fire in AZ history, but it is 18% contained now.

    Charles, thanks. The White Mountain area will have scars for a few years.

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