Category: Wallow

Don Davidson sent me this picture from Nutrioso. Again, it is hard not to call this photo beautiful.

The boundaries for the pre-evacuation area in Eagar is the west slope of Flattop Mountain on the east, Amity Lane on the west, and all of the area south of Schoolbus Road in Eagar.

From 593Info – “This notice is due to predicted high winds for the next few days. There is a possibility of spot fires during the high winds. If you see any spot fires occurring in the area please report it immediately to 911.

Law enforcement is issuing a pre-evacuation notice for a small area of SOUTH EAST EAGAR. This includes the Eagar area South of School Bus Rd., East of Amity Ln. to Juniper St. (W. of Flat Top). At this time residents are requested to prepare to move out of the area when notified by law enforcement. This notice is not time specific. Law Enforcement has not been advised of a specific time frame nor has it established one.

If you are asked to move out of the area we are hoping it is not for an extended time. If you are asked to leave, it is for your safety and to avoid interfering with fire fighting efforts. The Round Valley Intermediate School (Brown St. and 2nd St.) will be open for residents in the affected area as a temporary location to stand-by. If long term arrangements are needed you will be notified at the Round Valley Intermediate School.

This notice is an advisory only. The next notification issued by Law Enforcement will be either to move out of the area or to rescind the advisory. It is the intent of Law Enforcement that the residents of the South East Eagar area and surrounding community be prepared to move out as quickly as possible in the event it becomes necessary to leave due to the “Wallow Fire.”

We feel the possibility of spot fires and the need to remove citizens from the area is very small. But, we want you to be prepared just in case. For additional information or status updates, please call the “593” info center at (928) 333-3412 or visit their website at www.593info.com.”

Here is a map as best as I can visualize it from the report.  Please do NOT consider this map to be the official pre-evacuation map, but is only a representation to help people see the affected area.

Good morning,
To say that I’m upset is about as mildly as I can phrase it. It seems that the flow of information has dried up since the folks in Eagar and Springerville have been able to return. So . . . this is about how my morning has gone.

• Call to 928.333.3412 yields a tape from last night. No updates and no live person to talk to.
• Call to Forest Service in Springerville provides little or no information. The last she had heard was from Monday and that was that folks could return to Alpine in 2-5 days. She did, however tell me that the fire was now in the hands of “Area Command” and she seemed pissed about it. She told me that if I wanted to talk to them I had to call Hon-Dah Casino (800.929.8744) and ask for them.
• Much to my surprise, when I did exactly that it worked. They connected me right away to someone named Steve that walked to phone over to Don Ferguson. He was very apologetic and polite. He said he couldn’t answer all of my questions, but that he would all me back and he soon did.
• When Don called back he gave me the name of the PIO for Zone 2 (Trish Hergervorst (sp) in Reserve) and said that she was in a meeting but would soon call.
• Trish called to related this:
  • It’s unofficial but the are working for a 10AM Saturday return for folks that are residents of Alpine. No media, no gawkers.
  • High winds today threaten that schedule, but they are working their butts off to make it happen.
  • While Alpine is in Zone 1 and Trish is in Zone 2, she acknowledged the fact that the Zone 1 folks have pretty well shut down the communications pipeline. She, and the rest of folks in Zone 2, will do their best to provide us with up-to-date info. For that we can call the Zone 2 information line at 575.533.6928.

I will relay more info as I get it.

For those that know him, Terry Kilmer was able to return to Nutrioso yesterday and called me last night. He was ecstatic about the way the firefighters had treated his property. He says, he has some work to do, but all is OK.

Take care,
Steve Malcolm

How to possibly describe what has happened over the last week and a half?  I can honestly say that I never anticipated this website to mold into what it has become.  I was planning on just streaming the Town meeting last Monday, and as the day progressed information, maps, and other data began to flow my way.  It wasn’t until around 1am Tuesday morning that I started to realize what I had gotten myself into. It literaly consumed all of my time, and I hope that we ended up with confirmable and solid information that was able to help people get informed about what was going on with this fire.  While I plan to continue to provide major updates and map data while this fire is being contained, I must get my family and home back in order.  So much has happened in the last few weeks, and I am thankful for the opportunity to share it with all of you.  I have learned how small the world really is, and this “community” we live in stretches farther than any geographical border.  It seems like the worst and most trying experiences can bring out both the carnality, but also the greatness that is within people.  Acts of kindness, help, and other services rendered that people may never know about are truly what make this community that I call home great.

Thank you, each and everyone of you.  I really feel like I have learned and gained from you and this experience more than I contributed.  Please continue to check http://wallow.us in the days to come for continued updates and information about the Wallow Fire.

Wes

Location: Apache, Navajo, Graham, and Greenlee

Injuries to Date: 7

Counties, San Carlos and Fort Apache Reservations, Arizona; Catron County, New Mexico;

Total Personnel: 4,656 Includes 22 hotshot crews; 72 hand crews

Date Started: 05/29/2011

Cause: Human – under investigation

Residences: 2,714 threatened; 32 destroyed;5 damaged

Size:  478,452 acres total

Commercial Property: 473 threatened; 4 destroyed

PercentContained: 29%

Resources: 25 Helicopters, 5 Air Tankers available; 315 Engines; 78 Water Tenders; 19 Dozers Outbuildings: 1,216 threatened; 36 destroyed; 1 damaged;

Vehicles: 1 destroyed.

– June 15, 2011 0800 Briefing Meeting

Location: Apache, Navajo, Graham, and Greenlee  Injuries to Date: 7

Counties, San Carlos and Fort Apache Reservations, Arizona; Catron County, New Mexico;

Total Personnel: 4,656 Includes 22 hotshot crews; 72 hand crews

Date Started: 05/29/2011

Cause: Human – under investigation

Residences: 2,714 threatened; 32 destroyed;5 damaged

Size:  478,452 acres total

Commercial Property: 473 threatened; 4 destroyed

Percent Contained: 20%

Resources: 25 Helicopters, 5 Air Tankers available; 315 Engines; 78 Water Tenders; 19 Dozers Outbuildings: 1,216 threatened; 36 destroyed; 1 damaged;

Vehicles: 1 destroyed

I have had a few minutes and have found a way to get better audio, and have much close video at the same time.   Please tune in this evening at 6pm Arizona Time for the LIVE stream of tonight’s Town Meeting.

– Download Offical Release | June 14, 2011 1800 Town Meeting

WALLOW UPDATE: Little Colorado Behavioral will be seeing groups to help with coping this Fire.  Completely anonymous, not recorded.  Not a legally discoverable meeting.  Free place to mend your feelings.  Describe thoughts experienced.  Help with PTSD | Mental Health First Aid | Offered 11am & 1pm @ RV Primary School Library

WALLOW UPDATE: Residents ONLY of Nutrioso to start returning home 15 June 2011 @ 1000 hours.

WALLOW UPDATE: Nutrioso residents meet at the Rodeo Grounds after 10am. You will get a pass that will get you in. We must have your names on the tax roles to verify you. Please be patient with the process. Blue Hills will have dumpsters available and the transfer site will be open. Goto the Nutrioso Transfer Station as soon as possible please.

WALLOW UPDATE: Nutrioso, there will be smoke and open flames near Nutrioso in the days to come. It is within the black and not a threat. Plenty of firefighters around. Please do not report it unless it is on your or your neighbors property.

WALLOW UPDATE: Working on Greer, but no time frame as of yet.. 2-6 days, but can’t pin anything down.  Trying to mitigate all hazards.  We appreciate your patience.

WALLOW UPDATE: Please stay out of the way of the firefighters in Nutrioso

HWY 260 is open, but roads to Sunrise, Greer, and Big Lake are still closed.  Please stay out of there, it is still a closed forest.

WALLOW UPDATE: Pretty good day today. Dozer line by Luna will reach 180 Road by end of shift tonight.

WALLOW UPDATE: Burn out near Luna will hopefully be finished up by Thursday. Good because winds are expected then.

WALLOW UPDATE: Probable to see smoke until the rain comes. We will continue to see burnout.

WALLOW UPDATE: Going over Google Earth data..

WALLOW UPDATE: Did the thinning efforts help? His opinion, strong.. without the treatments we would have seen structure loss like Rodeo Fire. This fire is 93% lower loss of Structures.

WALLOW UPDATE: Local agencies are working to bring in relief food.. El Rio in Springerville, food drive for non-perishables. Open Fri-Mon 630pm – 9 to 930pm.. All donated food goes to RV Cares food & St. Vincent’s.

WALLOW UPDATE: Cleaning up the forest. Long-term project. 2-3 years. Issue of Escudilla.. Wilderness area, so we do nothing. Watch it and see what comes back.. Short answer – lots of opportunity on the edges..

WALLOW UPDATE: Steps taken to protect our mountain? Had the conversation 10 years ago with Rodeo Fire.. Forest with young trees, lots of things that led to this situation. Said 10 years ago, White Mountain Stewardship project.. 7 years old, and wildly successful.. 35k acres treated. basically the community was pro-active.

WALLOW UPDATE: Containment = 15% on northern part of the fire.. NOT confirmed with evening numbers, but Joe’s best numbers..

WALLOW UPDATE: Just had a come-to-Jesus moment at the Town Meeting..

WALLOW UPDATE: Possible flooding? Computer modeling for hot spots.. Planning is beginning to happen. We are doing a crash course in community protection. In our mind, three weeks for Flood Control. Around 4th of July = Thundershowers.

WALLOW UPDATE: Irrigation came back in today. takes ten hours to come in. We don’t have a lot left, but will get it back as quickly as possible.

Burnout Operation Underway Near Luna LakeFirefighters are burning vegetation between Wallow fire and the fireline north of road 180 in the Luna Lake fire camp area. This burnout will strengthen and connect containment lines in zones 1 and 2.As long as the current favorable weather conditions continue, the crews will ignite unburned fuels in the Luna Lake area and bring fire down toward road 180.Protection plans are in place for Luna Lake firecamp. If needed, for personal safety related to smoke or fire suppression actions, personnel may temporarily leave the fire camp.Burnout is one tool firefighters use to help slow the spread or change the direction of a fire. To burn, fire needs oxygen, fuel and an ignition source. Burning vegetation under the right conditions, or prescription, with resources in place, allows firefighters to better control both the intensity and the movement of the fire. When the fire reaches the treated area, with little or no fuel left behind, it stops or at least slows its spread.Residents in the area around Alpine, Luna Lake and Luna may see more smoke than usual from this operation.For more information about the Wallow Fire in the Luna area, please call 575-533-6928.