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Wes-
I’m sending you a picture that I took on Saturday afternoon looking across the meadow in Alpine to the south side of Escudilla. We were thrilled to discover that it looks so good overall. Yesterday Matt posted an update on Escudilla and said that the south side was gone and I wanted to reassure people that haven’t made it back yet that the south side is looking better than anticipated. There is heavy damage to the north and west slopes.
Thanks again,
Anne
– Download the full report in PDF – June 19, 2011 @ 2000 hours
| Counties, White Mountain Apache Reservation, San Carlos Apache Reservation, Arizona;
Catron County, New Mexico |
| Date Started: 05/29/2011
Cause: Human – under investigation |
| Size: 511,118 acres total |
| Percent Contained: 51%
Resources: 15 Helicopter; 5 Air Tankers available; 196 Engines; 72 Water Tenders; 21 Dozers |
I had requests by numerous people to post the poem by Carson Lee. This morning was the first time that it had been sent to me so I, like all other information that has been sent to me, posted it onto this website. While I will not refute or condone the contents of the peom, it was something requested by a large enough audience that I did post it. I received an email below that has been very helpful and influential with the information that is posted onto http://wallow.us. If this email is offensive to others and you would like it removed then please let me know. This website is dedicated to only provide information, I am not attempting to promote any political view with the content that is hosted here. Had a poem been sent to me with a different point of view, combined with the backing of people wanting to have it posted, then I would have obviously posted it as well. Again, if you, the people that come here for information feel the posts should refrain from anything of this nature please let me know by posting a comment on this post. The entire purpose and reason this site still exists is for the people that are frequenting it.
This is not intended to start a comment “flame war”, so please do not make it one.
EMAIL:
First and foremost, I want you to know that for the last 3 weeks you provided a peace of mind for people from all walks of life… ranchers and environmentalists, pillars of the community and newcomers, everyone that has come to love this part of Eastern Arizona. You gave to our community something rare… an opportunity for us to help each other.
So it is with much sadness that I now find a very political, very divisive poem by Carson Lee on your website. There were many factors that combined to create the Wallow fire. Many, many mistakes were made by many people that love this area and really believed that they knew what was best for the mountain.
This poem doesn’t heal, it hurts. It hurts those that agree with it as much as those that are offended by it. It creates division. It encourages a lynch mob when we need to find solutions that work for everyone. We need to work together to find a future for the forests.
The poem is beneath you and everything you did with Wallow.us. Please let us heal together.
Friends and neighbors,
Thought I’d chime in with a few notes.
I was able to return to Alpine yesterday morning. Passes were issued at the Springerville/Eagar rodeo grounds. Lot’s of us were there bright and early between 9:30 and 10:00. Because I was a few minutes early I took the time to buy a couple of “Wallow Fire” shirts from the vendors parked nearby. I want to truly be able to say, “Been there; done that; got the T-shirt!!”. Also nearby is an ICP camp for some of the firefighters that looks like it’s being used by 700-1,000 folks.
I’d been seeing smoke in the sky since about Midway (I came in on 60 from Show Low) but I didn’t see any roadside burns until I left the rodeo grounds. After that they were immediately evident. The evidence of burning did not get really heavy until after I passed Nelson River Reservoir (I may have missed a few because I was alone and intent on watching for elk as well as emergency vehicles). Near the boat ramp there, a pump and a tank are set up with a flexible line down to the water. It looks as if they have been using that as a helipad.
The Check Point was at the southern Nutrioso road. I had to show my pass and my driver’s license. Then it was straight into Alpine passing a big sign, several fire vehicles, and about 20 fire volunteers from the Alpine Fire Department waving and welcoming returnees. The drive into town was slow because I was trying to take it all in. During the community meetings Joe and Brannon had told us that, “The fire burns in a mosaic. You will be surprised by the amount of green spaces.” They were 100% right. But the scope of the devastation in the burned areas is also surprising. The fire and the wind were capricious in their travels up and down the slopes. Gobbler’s Knob has been cooked. South Mountain has a lot of black areas but seems to still be about half green. Its the same all the way around our valley.
Today and yesterday the wind has blown very hard. When it blows through the severely burned areas it generates giant clouds of ash. The haze this creates is full of ash particulates and I try to stay indoors when that’s going on, or at least in the truck. Also, within the severely burned areas some “stump holes” (a term I learned from one of the firefighters) are still burning. It’s easy to spot five or six across the slopes of South Mountain. Hopefully the winds will be quieter tomorrow.
This morning, just after dawn, and before the wind got really fierce, I drove down to Auger Canyon. The is a large herd of elk cows just north of the turn-off there and at dawn and dusk the calves are up and busy. It’s great to see. There is also a significant herd at the south end of Nelson.
As previous emails have noted several of us are here and more are trickling in all the time. Also present are several fire and law enforcement vehicles. One or the other patrols Chapache about once an hour or more. They are from all over. The last police cruiser I saw was from Show Low.
Yesterday afternoon I needed to go to Show Low and Sylvia came along for the ride. The rumor that Monty Riggs started that she and I were on a date to see the Oak Ridge boys at Hon-Dah casino is absolutely false. I mention it so that I can relate what we saw on the drive across 260 between Eagar and Pinetop. It’s easy to see why Springerville and Eagar were evacuated. The burning on the south side of the road is really bad in some spots. The road to Greer is blocked, as are the Big Lake road and the road to Sunrise. There is another very large ICP camp at Horseshoe-Cienaga lake.
Life in town is returning to normal, but slowly. Several folks stayed put. There is only one topic of conversation and right now there’s not as much joking around as is usual. Vada has a generator parked behind the Bear Wallow and is open with a limited menu. She has a hug for everyone that comes in the door. The Tal-Wi-Wi, the Alpine Grill, and the Bush Valley Cafe all appear to be closed but will probably be open soon.
There is a huge helipad with four or five big Sikorsky heli-tankers across from the transfer station and “reflecting ponds”. They are trying to fight the fire in Luna but have been grounded most of today because of the wind.
By and large I think that we in Alpine and Chapache have dodged a huge bullet. We can thank the forest thinning around Alpine, our own efforts to keep our properties defensible, and the firefighters. Most of all the firefighters. They have done an amazing jog. The came to each of our cabins and raked the flammable fuel away from the wall to protect us. The courage and dedication amazes me.
For those of you on the fence about returning, I hope this disjointed effort has convinced you it’s worth the trip. Jim Pinter mentioned a “Plan B” and that may be worth considering. The power is on. It was shut off for a while today to protect the firefighters battling the blaze near Luna, but that was temporary and no one is complaining. Frontier has the phone lines and the Internet connections up and running, and Verizon has a temporary cell site set up that seems to work pretty well. It’s different, but it’s OK. Somethings will never change and one of those are is the great folks that live in Chapache.
Hope to see you soon,
Steve Malcolm
P.S. There is a meeting tomorrow night at the Alpine Community Center At 6:00 PM, as well as the one at the same time at Round Valley. Several of us will be attending the one here and will report the happenings.
UPDATE 19 June 11 @ 2100 hours: we got the go-ahead for tomorrow @ 11am check-in at Dome.
This morning at the Blue Ridge HIgh School evacuee meeting the discussion of Greer’s re-entry was talked about. Kristi Spillman posted on Facebook the following:
“Waiting for the word…Will we get to go home tomorrow??? If so, check-in is @ RV Dome in Eagar, backside. Bring ID stuff that says you belong in Greer. Residents and business owners only will be allowed to check-in starting at 11AM on Monday IF WE GET THE GO AHEAD after 6PM tonight. Everyone’s anxious but safety still comes first. Cross those fingers and be safe out there.”
She called me and confirmed what was typed. Brannon Eagar gave this layout, and the decision will be made this evening. They will be contacted by phone if the plan will be executed in the morning. After the day of verified entry they are hoping to open up Greer to normal traffic.
Fire Update
The National Weather Service continues its Red Flag Warning for today from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. for strong winds and low relative humidity. Increased winds will affect the entire region today with southwest wind speeds increasing through the morning at 20 – 30 mph with gusts of 40 – 50 mph. Relative humidity will range from 5 – 15 percent. This combination of strong winds and low relative humidity will create extreme fire behavior. With the high winds, spotting is a major concern. A strong cold front will push into the area tonight, shifting the winds to the northwest by Monday morning with cooler temperatures behind the cold front, along with higher humidity.
Strong southwest winds have caused the Wallow Fire to breach containment lines along US 180, on the east side of the fire. The town of Luna, N.M. has been evacuated. Air resources in defense of Luna were grounded yesterday due to high winds. Structural protection is in place for Luna and also in the broad Blue River drainage, where fire has become established in the San Francisco drainage, Raspberry Creek, Steeple Mesa, Quebec drainage and Horse Canyon areas. Air support began early this morning to work on objectives before the expected wind gusts arrive and air support is forced to be grounded.
On the western flank, chipping and repair of firelines continues. Firefighters have completed construction of the firelines between the Black River and Hwy. 191 and continue to bring fire southward to the indirect lines to prevent the main body of fire from moving across Hwy 191. Today, fire crews will continue to work to keep the fire in Warren Canyon and watch for spot fires. Structure protection equipment within the Sunrise Resort area has been removed in anticipation of re-opening the facilities on Monday.
Firefighters continue area patrol and hazard tree removal in the northern area of the fire.
Public Safety
· Smoke from the ongoing wildfires in AZ. will continue to impact residents in the Wallow Fire area and in southwestern N.M. For more information link to the smoke outlook for 6/19-posted at http://ge.tt/8sjO9F5.
· Apache County and the local Fire Departments have begun the process of staging sandbag locations in anticipation of the monsoon season. Burned areas are vulnerable to flash floods and debris flows even in moderate intensity rains. More information will be provided as locations are confirmed.
· A Crisis Intervention Line (928) 333-2683 is available for residents suffering from the stress of living with fire danger.
· An Individual Assistance Service Center (IASC) is open daily from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm at the Round Valley Public Library, in Eagar for Arizonans from all evacuated communities to access information to assist in their personal recovery from the fire.
· For more safety information see: http://tinyurl.com/6zvcrck
Community Meetings Tomorrow Monday, June 20
· 6 p.m. Monday, White Mountain Tribal Council Chambers, Whiteriver, AZ.
· 6 p.m. Monday, Round Valley High School hosted by the Apache/Sitgreaves National Forest.
Current Evacuations
· Luna, N.M. was evacuated as of 3:15 p.m. yesterday.
· Evacuations remain in effect in Sunrise, Greer and Blue River.
· Yesterday, June 18, the evacuation for Alpine was lifted.
Evacuee Information
· An evacuation center is open at the High School in Reserve, NM for Luna residents.
· 10 a.m. daily evacuee meetings will be held at the Blue Ridge High School in Pinetop/Lakeside, AZ.
· Arizona evacuees whose Post Office is closed may pick up their mail at the Eagar Post Office.
Pre-Evacuation Alert
A pre-evacuation alert continues in Apache County for Greens Peak, Hidden Meadows Lodge and surrounding areas.
Luna (Kayli): pretty calm. We moved some cows, so we just got back. The power’s out, but everything is pretty quiet compared to yesterday.
Management of suppression activities on the Wallow Fire is divided into three areas, or zones. This update provides information about activities occurring on the East Zone of the fire. For information about the other zones, please visit www.InciWeb.org or www.fs.fed.us/r3/asnf.
Yesterday: Alpine residents and business owners were allowed to return yesterday, via Highway 180 through Nutrioso. The northern boundary of Zone Two was moved up into part of the area previously under the command of Zone 1. Yesterday’s strong and gusty southwest winds resulted in increased fire activity. Fire crossed Highway 180 and began heading towards Luna. The wind drove the fire to an area north of Forest Road 220 and West of Forest Road 19. The town of Luna was evacuated at 3:15 pm, as a precaution. The high winds also resulted in fire movement through Raspberry Creek in the Blue River area. Structure prep and protection remain a priority in Luna and the Blue River drainage.
Today: A red flag warning will be in effect from 10am through 8pm. Winds will be from the southwest with gusts up to 45 MPH. High wind speeds will restrict air support operations. Structure protection will be in place to protect the towns of Luna and Alpine, as well as the Blue River community. Additional resources are being brought in to assist with the containment efforts.
More Information: The Fire Information Office for Zone 2 is located at the Catron County Fairgrounds in Reserve, New Mexico. For more information about Zone 2 of the Wallow Fire, please call 575-533-6928.
Closures: There is an area closure on the western portions of Quemado, Reserve and Glenwood Ranger Districts. The closure is necessary to protect the public and provide for firefighter safety while working to contain the Wallow Fire.
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– June 19, 2011 0800 – Download the full report
Location: Apache, Navajo, Graham, and Greenlee
Injuries to Date: 12
Counties, White Mountain Apache Reservation, San Carlos Apache Reservation, Arizona; Catron County, New Mexico
Total Personnel: 3,594 Includes 15 hotshot crews; 56 handcrews
Date Started: 05/29/2011
Cause: Human – under investigation
Residences: 2,714 threatened; 32 destroyed;5 damaged
Size: 511,118 acres total
Commercial Property: 473 threatened; 4 destroyed
Percent Contained: 44%
Resources: 15 Helicopter; 5 Air Tankers available; 196 Engines; 72 Water Tenders; 21 Dozers
Outbuildings: 1,216 threatened; 36 destroyed; 1 damaged
Vehicles: 1 destroyed