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Arizona's Wallow Fire rages on
A massive wildfire in Arizona continues to grow.
Tue, Jun 07 2011 at 3:24 PM
 34

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Forests & Trees
Plume from Arizona's Wallow Fire

Photo: freeopinions/Flickr

I’m stepping outside of my usual green business arena to discuss the Wallow Fire, which is currently Arizona’s third largest wildfire. Burning in eastern Arizona, the Wallow Fire is affecting areas that I hold near and dear to my heart — Greer, Sunrise, Big Lake and more.
 
According to the most recent update available on the Arizona Emergency Information Network website, the fire is closing in on 250,000 acres, more than 2,500 personnel are working to contain the fire, four structures have been lost and 348 are threatened.
 
Residents in nearby Springerville and Eager have been issued a pre-evacuation notice, and if the fire continues its march towards these two communities, the number of structures in danger could significantly rise.
 
I don’t live in one of these communities, but our family has vacationed in the area since I was a young girl. I also have family members who own a cabin in the evacuation zone.
 
When I watch the video footage online, I’m saddened to see the utter devastation that this fire is leaving behind. Some wildfires burn only brush, but this fire is decimating everything in its path, from the treetops down to the underbrush. The once lush green forest and expansive meadows are now black.
 
Alexander and Ava on top of Sunrise Mountain; the mountain and surrounding areas have been evacuated.
 
I looked at an updated map of the fire this morning and it appears that the area around Big Lake has burned. On our last family vacation to Greer, we took a trip up to Big Lake and my son was inspired to record a green tip on the importance of water conservation on our family blog. When I was his age, I also spent time at this same lake. On our next visit, we will be met with a landscape that resembles the moon instead of the lush forest and meadows that once surrounded the lake.
 
Greer itself is still standing and fire crews are working hard to protect the structures in this small tight-knit community. Unfortunately, the weather in the area isn’t cooperating and the situation still remains critical. Let’s hope that the monsoon rains make an early appearance.
 
At a lake in Greer, Arizona.
 

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Comments: 34
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anonymous
Mike Jun 10 2011 at 2:01 PM
If you had to leave your home in five minutes, what would you take? Five minutes may seem like a long time but if you have young children or pets you will need to spend time getting them organized and out of the house. Do you have an emergency kit? Do you have a back up of your important information stored outside of your home? Do you have adequate insurance coverage? Do you have an updated home inventory? If you had to make an insurance claim could you remember and prove everything you owned? Preparation
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is the key to surviving and recovering from a wildfire. You can learn more about disaster preparation for you, your family and your home at the AssetWatch Blog. ( https://www.assetwatch.com/blog/ )
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anonymous
J Brainard Jun 09 2011 at 1:45 AM
Mother nature provided us with healthy forests. Then came cattle grazing and loss of low intensity grass fires to clean out ladder fuels followed by forest management to maximize potential timber sales. Add to this the inability of the human animal to let things burn. We are now seeing the impact of these ill conceived actions: mega fires and resultant massive and acute ecosystem change. This change contrasts sharply with the more subtle and less noticeable change brought about by grazing and timber
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harvesting management and thus results in finger pointing in the wrong direction. Perhaps we should blame our grandfathers and fathers who actively managed the forests contrary to the requirement of long term health for the forests, but in sink with a financial system that does not account for long term negative mega impacts of resource extraction and development. This is not limited to forest management, we have also experienced mega ecosystem changes from water resource and hydro power development and, unfortunately, many countries are following suit Perhaps the question to ask is this: What else are we doing to the planet that will likely result in mega mega (not a typo) acute ecosystem change? The challenge to the human race is to become very wise very quickly before the final mega mega event occurs so that we minimize or stop the continued degradation of the planet. I am not very optimistic that we can do this.
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tarrant's picture
Tarrant Jun 09 2011 at 1:26 PM

where would you start to change things?

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anonymous
Scott Jun 08 2011 at 5:17 PM

The Greer Lodge burned down on 5/10/2011 they say Arson...
This fire started on the... south west of Hannigan Medow Lodge Blowing North West.
Im not hearing much about who started this fire??? just saying

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tarrant's picture
Tarrant Jun 09 2011 at 1:29 PM

These types of fires usually need to have time to investigate before an answer on how it started, a campfire is suspected according to news reports.

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anonymous
Kwilts Jun 08 2011 at 1:13 AM
Mellissa, I am not in the evacuation area. I am west at the cross-roads in the area of Vernon. My husband and spent two days pulling things together just in case. When Greer was threatened there was a possiblility. We have had really heavy smoke in the area. Sunday was the worst. It is sad this had to happen. I am still angry about the person who was careless. With that said. I have seen the same thing happen in San Diego, CA. when the fires destroyed the forest there. For years there
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was a lot of talk about maintaining the forest. It wasn't done, and it took another idiot to start the fire (s). I fought moving here, and it took a while to get used to living here. Now I would live no where else. This is a very stonge community and we get through this together.
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mhincha's picture
Melissa Hincha-Ownby Jun 08 2011 at 11:28 AM

Thanks for the update, I'm glad you're not in an evacuation zone.

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anonymous
Todd Jun 08 2011 at 12:47 AM
I wish there were a way to get my feelings and knowledge across to the powers that be... Have tried. Those who say that logging was done improperly have never fought a fire. It is simply impossible to fight a tree top fire. Feel free to ask any kind of fire fighter. Top fires and high fires are the worst. If the tall ones had been thinned, this human-caused nightmare would be containable. Low and smaller trees would still be green and beautiful to the eye, and to the habitat (as there would be
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one). And when fires erupt, for whatever reason, they would be manageable. AS THEY WERE WHEN I WAS A YOUNG MAN IN THE WHITE MOUNTAINS BEFORE YOU IDIOTS STOPPED LETTING US MANAGE THE LAND. I Love this land. I am crying in Gilbert... watching my homeland go away from STUPID people... including those who started the fire. 2002 was a wake up call.... and it fell on deaf ears. Perhaps this tragedy will get some ears and eyes open.... I Hope.
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anonymous
Ron Jun 08 2011 at 12:10 AM

The Indian tribes have been thinning and cutting trees like crazy since the last fire in the White Mountains. Have seen that on Mt. Lemon also. But the forest behind Big Lake around the overflow for miles was thick dead pines and hadn't been touched for years. I am 62 and have been going to Big Lake since 1955 and this is the biggest fire I can remember that has gotten out of control. No large spaces to help fight the fire now that logging has been stoped.

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anonymous
mark Jun 07 2011 at 6:28 PM

Probably a combination of things have caused this. But a record number of days with no moisture have also added to this. Before trees were cut down except for a few by Native Americans, nature dealt with this, but there was no one to tell or record the story.

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anonymous
Scott Jun 07 2011 at 6:49 PM

I have read some of the older rancher books they would burn every year... section at a time... the forest doesnt get burned like that anymore... it continues to build with fuel wood...sure we are in a drought but that is the SouthWest that is the way it is... some years worse than other years.... then smokey bear put the fires out...insted of letting them burn around the towns... think of what a summer vacation will be like with out a tall pine tree to camp under...I will miss it.

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anonymous
Scott Jun 07 2011 at 6:17 PM
I would like to meet the people that created the spotted owl as an endangered spieces and the People that allowed no more logging on National Forest ... they should be put on the front line of the Wallow Fire... no Questions asked... I blame them for this over grown fire hazard that is out of control. I vote to fire our USFS and get someone else to run our National Forests...think about it... the more the time goes by with out logging and cleaning what forest we have left... will be that many more
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fire fighters and new USFS trucks to run up an down the road...costing more money to every tax payer...or more of our National Forest an National Parks will be used as collateral to pay the more people needed to fight bigger fires...Just saying
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anonymous
TRACE Jun 07 2011 at 4:54 PM
MANY YEARS AGO OUTSIDE A PHOENIX COURTROOM ENVIRONMENTALIST ROBIN SILVER STATED "I WOULD RATHER WATCH THE FOREST BURN THAN LOGGED." THAT IS A TYPICAL ENVIRONMENTALIST THING TO SAY. WHAT AN IDIOT. NOW THAT OVER MILLIONS OF PRECIOUS ARIZONA RESOURCES HAVE BEEN DESTROYED AND WASTED YOU INSANE ENVIRONMENTALIST ARE GETTING WHAT YOU WISHED FOR. NOW THAT ARIZONA LOGGING IS EXTINCT LET NATURE TAKE ITS TOLL AND LET THE FOREST BURN. MILLIONS OF WASTED DOLLARS ON FIGHTING THE FIRES RATHER THAN MAINTAINING
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THE FORESTS ARE WASTED. MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF LOST REVENUE TO THE STATE, HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF LOST JOBS ALL BECAUSE YOU WOULD RATHER WATCH IT BURN AND DESTROY LIFE THAN WATCH IT BE USED FOR WHAT PURPOSE IT SHOULD BE USED. I HOPE THOUSANDS OF STUPID SPOTTED OWLS AND GOSHAWK DIE. JUST LET IT BURN THATS WHAT YOU ENVIRONMENTALIST WANT ANYWAY.
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anonymous
John Lindauer Jun 07 2011 at 4:50 PM

Logging dead and mature trees is important if a forest is to be kept healthy and fire-free. Blindly opposing everything from Alaskan oil to logging results in the oil coming from countries where there is no environmental safeguards and the forests burning. Most of our legacy environmental groups long ago became primarily interested in money-raising from their version of what the old soviets called "useful fools."

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anonymous
Mesa Muffin Jun 07 2011 at 5:14 PM

Again, please learn some history before pointing fingers. Thank you.

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anonymous
a raccoon Jun 07 2011 at 11:50 PM

Post your response again anyway. Cannot find the 'Fed Up' you speak of.

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anonymous
FED UP Jun 07 2011 at 4:40 PM
When are the REAL Americans going to stand up put those worthless enviromentalists in their place? They are completely to blame for this fire. The fire is damaging and will continue to damage more than logging would ever have. The Apache Rez is not burning nearly as bad or as fast...HMMM could it be they manage their forest and log it and keep it taken care of? YES!! It's time REAL people get together put a class action lawsuit against any enviromentalist group in the state as well as BLM and anyone
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else doing such a bang up job of managing the forest. They spend all their time spending money on wolves and grizzly's that no one who lives here wanted. And they slip that in under the rug with a wink and a nod and a fat check, but they wont put PEOPLE first!! WE COME FIRST!! Our forefathers got rid of those hideous animals for a reason! They destroy lives!!!!! Human lives, as well as decimate the herds of animals that people need for food. But the Godless people in charge care n othing for our rights. And the silent MAJORITY needs to stop being silent and start howling at the top of our lungs!!! Enough is enough!! No more just hoping it will get better. Law suits and a whole hell of a lot fit throwing is the only thing going to fix this. Enviromentism IS communism! Wake up people while there is still a tree left. The greenie pukes have destroyed more than they will ever save. It is our GOD given right to hunt, log, and provide for our families! The greenies can go find another country to destroy, but its time to stop letting them destroy ours!!
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anonymous
Scott Jun 08 2011 at 9:49 AM
I wish all the people that were behind the Spotted Owl movement that shut down logging and all the sawmills would come out and really expose there self...I think they should get there signs and stand out in the streets that are fixing to be evacuated... Im ashamed of the people and our elected ones that allowed this to happen. Think of the amount of timber that could of been cut insted of left in the forest for fire fuel like now... I dont want people to loose there homes.. but this National Forest
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that has not had much done with it for years is going to burn...Its going to clean its self now...and this is just the beginning... a long time before monsoons get here...
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anonymous
Mesa Muffin Jun 07 2011 at 5:12 PM
I mean... environmentalist. Dude, learn some history! The problem has less to do with environmental laws on logging than it does with the establishment of fire control in the US after the "Great Burn of 1910." In the summer of 1910, there were very similar conditions in Idaho, a dry winter with a wet spring and a windy early summer with the jet stream overhead. Hundreds of people, many of them loggers at logging camps, were killed. After the Great Burn of 1910, the US started it's "war on fire"
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- paradoxically because of the large loss of life of loggers. Over the last hundred years, there are several factors involved in the creation of "great burns" and one of them is clear cutting and replanting trees in clear cut areas, which creates even aged stands of trees - tress that burn hot and at all at once, with crown fires moving from big tree to big tree quickly across these even aged stands. There are real world factors that point to commercial logging and increased fire suppression in order to protect commercial logging being to blame for the "Great Burn of Arizona 2011" While there are few real world factors that point to environmentalists being to blame for this fire, or even to being communists.
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anonymous
Kwilts Jun 07 2011 at 4:34 PM
My husband and I moved here from San Diego, CA. We have gone through some major fires ourselves. We knew when we came to the White Mountains, that fire is just a fact of life up here. Unfortunately, there are those who come to visit and do not respect this area in many ways. Each weekend we hold our breath that someone is not careless and start something like what we are dealing with now. As much as we do not like the control burns done during the winter time, We understand it is necessary.
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Like San Diego, the authorities here learned meny lessons from the Rodeo fire. I am impressed with the organization and thank all those how are helping in their own way. We are a community and this is the feeling we have. We can analyse all we want, what went wrong. After we get through this, and we will. Then is the time to find out what we need to do to keep it from happening again. Bless everyone with peace.
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mhincha's picture
Melissa Hincha-Ownby Jun 07 2011 at 5:30 PM

Thank you for your comment Kwilts, are you in an evacuation or pre-evacuation zone?

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anonymous
Kathleen Jun 07 2011 at 4:21 PM

Drought conditions in the SW that led to the Wallow Fire, the other large fires in AZ this decade, and the extreme fire condition in my state, are due to climate change. I'm choking on AZ smoke in New Mexico, hundreds of miles from the fire, as are people in Denver, and even the midwest. All that CO2 is going into the atmosphere. This is evidence of the tipping point, folks.

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anonymous
Jody Jun 07 2011 at 4:01 PM

The fire has reached 300,00 acres, and is now the 2nd largest in AZ history. We vacation in the Alpine area every summer--breaks my heart.

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mhincha's picture
Melissa Hincha-Ownby Jun 07 2011 at 5:28 PM

Thank you for the update Jody, I was trying to find the most up-to-date stats and it looks like the AZ EIN website was a bit lagged with their data.

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anonymous
bobbynorwich Jun 07 2011 at 4:00 PM

Very cute kids.

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