Category: Wallow

Slight Buzzkill, but needed reality from Apache County Emergency Management.”There has been NO time set for returns of residents to the evacuated areas. When the fire management team determines there is no further danger from fire and the area has been deemed safe from all hazards, residents will be notified by the Apache County Sheriff’s Office.” – 2200 hours 9 June 2011 on their Facebook Page.

I need to thank all of those that have provided information to me, so I can get it on http://wallow.us.  I looked at my site’s analytics this morning and your information has been viewed in 61 different countries as of midnight.  Yesterday (9 June 2011), 21,113 unique visitors viewed the site throughout the day resulting in 43,924 page views.  That means that on average everyone checked back once throughout the day to see the updated data.  Again, thank you to everyone that has contributed to making this information available.

I need to give a shout out to a friend at Verizon Wireless.  Bridgette was kind enough to send me out a MiFi so I could keep connected during this event, and keep things updated for you.  It has enabled me to use my BlackBerry for other things (possibly audio streaming the town meetings I can’t make it to LIVE).  I know most of us on the mountain use Verizon Wireless, and I must commend them for the stability their service has shown during this fire.  I have only had one instance where I received an “All Circuits Busy”, and that was making a call to the East Coast.  The data services haven’t been quite as stellar, but effective enough for us to continue http://wallow.us | I don’t want to give her email address out, but if a few of you could please email me with “Wallow Fire Verizon” in the subject line so I can pass them on to her it would mean a lot.  Again, thanks Bridgette for helping to keep me connected no matter where I’ve been during the Wallow Fire.

Date Started: 5/29/2011

Number of Personnel: Approximately 3,012

Location: south and west of Alpine, Arizona

Including 24 hotshot crews and 79 handcrews

Cause: Human – under investigation

Equipment: 18 dozers, 197 engines, 61 tenders

Size: 386,690 acres based on last night’s infrared flight

Aircraft: 16 helicopters

Percent Contained: 5%

Injuries to Date: 3 minor injuries

Residences: 5,242 threatened, 29 destroyed, 5 damaged

Structures: 24 destroyed

Other: 1 truck destroyed

I need to take a moment and thank Tucson Electric Power for the support they have given me during this whole ordeal.  They have allowed me to keep http://wallow.us updated as events come in during the day.  The information would not come so quick if they hadn’t allowed me to do so.  I will be sure to pass on your kind words so they know that their generosity has not gone unnoticed.  Again, thank you to each and everyone of you that has contributed to this site.  It truly has been a community effort, and I have enjoyed doing it.

Wes — FYI

The following input came from the Greer fire department late Wednesday night:

The situation AT THIS MOMENT seems to be better than previously reported in the media and elsewhere, but not as good as hoped for. While the Honeybee Lodge was left untouched in Paradise Mt some others in the area were burned. The fire department saved several houses in the neighborhood so the damage on Wonderland Road at the end was minimal. Heaven Scent came through okay. Don’t yet know about the houses around the Butterfly Lodge Museum. Also some cabins on East Fork were damaged and the Peaks may have sustained some damage around the main building.

The fellows at the fire department said that nothing on the West side of Main Street burned at this time. Molly’s is okay, Sargent’s is okay. Not sure about Red Setter or the house at the end of the road next to Red Setter. One house on Ruhr was burned  Also Crosby Acres seems to be spared.

Of course there are many flames still active but there are also hundreds of fire fighters in town to save houses that are still facing problems. Don’t yet know to what extent the damage is on the east side of the street.

We are not out of the woods yet, due to spot fires and trees burning in and around the valley, but tomorrow the wind is supposed to be calming down so that is a big plus. Please understand that as unpredictable as this fire is, status may change, but hopefully the worst is over for Greer. Unfortunately the fire is not done and probably won’t be until the rains come. We will send other info as it is forth coming. We’re pretty sure the fire department is a reliable source.

Looking at current weather reports and I see that the wind is now

where near as high as it was this time yesterday. Great for the fire,

bad for smoke. Air quality in and around the Round Valley should be

really bad throughout the day today and based on the reports you are

getting, looks like that is correct. If people are in that area I

would ask them to cover their mouth and nose with a painters mask,

shirt or something of that nature. Since the winds will be light today

that smoke will be sitting around the valley all day. Some high wind

gust still will be seen in the canyons and valleys up on the mountains

due to diurnal heats (heating from the sun between night and day)

Although there is now way to know exactly what the wind will do unless

you are there. I have attached a picture of the current satellite

image of the area. What we had been seeing is the smoke moving right

out of the area and into NM with the wind. Now it is sitting in the

valley.