Posted on 06/22/2002 7:42:16 PM PDT by RCW2001
URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2002/06/22/state2229EDT7515.DTL
(06-22) 19:29 PDT SHOW LOW, Ariz. (AP) -- Authorities ordered the 7,700 residents of this city to evacuate Saturday night as a mammoth wildfire raged just to the west.
The call came as the Rodeo fire, which had burned more than 150,000 acres of forest since Tuesday, breached a passed what authorities considered a critical point about eight miles west of Show Low.
The fire was moving slowly to the east and there wasn't an immediate threat to the city, fire spokesman Jim Paxon said. Authorities hadn't decided whether to evacuate neighboring Pinetop-Lakeside, with 3,500 residents.
Meanwhile, a second, smaller fire crossed a fire line and entered Heber-Overgaard, an already evacuated community of 2,700 about 25 miles to the west, Paxon said. Officials didn't know whether any structures had burned in that community.
The two blazes, just miles apart, already had forced about 8,000 people to evacuate from several communities. Officials expected the fires to link, creating a 50-mile line.
"Nature's in control," Paxon said. "She's dealing the hand."
Fire information officer Rob Deyerberg said a merged fire would move faster and burn more fuel, making it harder to fight. "If it merges it just gets worse," he said.
At nightfall, a dense gray smoke cloud loomed over Show Low, a mountain city named for the turn of a card. Some drivers pulled over on the side of the road to watch the smoke plume. Others videotaped it.
"It's a monster. It's awesome," said Bobby Smith, who was staying in Show Low after having been evacuated from Pinedale. "It's unbelievable what a big fire can do."
The larger of the two fires had exploded across 150,000 acres since starting on Tuesday, and had forced up to 4,000 people to flee Pinedale, Clay Springs and Linden. About 100 people refused to leave, including one who remained in Pinedale.
At least 12 homes and 20 smaller structures were destroyed when the fire entered Pinedale, 125 miles northeast of Phoenix. Firefighters were putting out lingering fires there.
The second fire had burned about 30,000 acres by Saturday and had forced the evacuation of 4,000 people from Heber-Overgaard and Aripine.
Residents of Forest Lakes, about 13 miles southwest, were asked to leave Saturday. About 500 people live in the community during the summer, said Jim Driscoll, Coconino County's emergency service coordinator.
Lighter wind was forecast Saturday -- half of Friday's gusts, which reached 51 mph -- but authorities still expected the two wildfires to merge Sunday.
"We're short of resources, and we're in a race against time," Paxon said.
"There's no doubt that we'll whip this fire," he said. "But it's going to take a lot of time, and it's going to gobble up a lot of country and put a lot of people at risk in the meantime."
The biggest of the two fires was thought to be caused by man, although authorities didn't know whether it was an accident or arson. The second, smaller fire was started by a lost hiker signaling for help.
The Arizona infernos rattled nerves across a region known of normally tranquil mountains and mild weather in the White Mountains. The area of eastern Arizona draws hikers and campers and is a summer getaway for Phoenix-area residents escaping the desert heat.
Show Low resident Brian Bolton has been driving to work each day with his truck already packed with belongings, but said he tries not to think about the fire.
"It's the only healthy way to go about your day," he said, "prepare yourself but keep it in the back of your mind until something actually happens."
National Interagency Fire Center: www.nifc.gov
God bless and help those people!
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The Lost Dutchman is in the Superstition Mts, about 30 miles east of Phoenix. Not near the fire area.
The "smaller" of the two fires (which are now merged to make 180,000+ acres worth of fire now) was started by a VERY STUPID AND IGNORANT unprepaired hiker, who panicked, and decided to light a signal flare to signal for help, as opposed another means of signaling for help (cel phone, mirror, flashlight).
The punishment you describe is extremely TOO LENIENT for this pathetic moron.
I live in Phoenix, and have always loved traveling to northern Ariz. to the White Mountains. It was one of the most beautiful places that I have seen in the U.S. After this fire, the tall pines will be gone. Most people don't realize that a large part of Arizona is in high elevations and has the largest ponderosa pine forests in the country. Looks a lot like the midwest. They normally get a rainfall similar to the midwest, but not this year. People are complaining in Arizona that this fire could have been controlled much more if the federal government had been thinning out the thick areas and removing the old, dried out trees. But no, the liberal environmentalists wouldn't hear of it. They can't stand to have one tree cut down. And now, because the forests were so dense, the fire is way out of control. We were at the Grand Canyon a few weeks ago, both on the southern rim and the northern rim, and I noticed that the forests were very dense there too. Let's all pray the this doesn't happen there too.
Last time I saw the Grand Canyon there were no forests. Looked like mainly desert to me. There were a few scrubby trees here and there. In the 50s.
Apparently they made it to Phoenix--haven't heard. All gas stations for many miles around were out of gas, so it was kinda iffy if all three vehicles could make it all the way. As you and your mother, a lifetime of memories are in the contents of the homes. God Speed your mom and we pray Show Low and other towns be spared.
We pray Show Low and other towns be spared.
Please let something be spared!
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