Update Wallow Fire
June 9, 2011
Governor Brewer come to Pinetop today for an afternoon briefing and visit with evacuees. I also attended the briefing. Her main focus right now is the safety of the citizens and firefighters, and stopping the fire. She did press to see if they could give her any ideas of when they could get containment of the fire to at least at 50%. They said they could not give a number.
This is the biggest fire in the country. The Chief of the Forest Service, Tom Tidwell, will be flying into Arizona tomorrow to visit the fire area. The Forest Service is bringing in a huge plane for slurry drops to stop the fire from moving into the White Mountain Apache Forest and Mt. Bawdy Wilderness Area. I understand the plane can make a mile-long drop.
Fire went into the southeast end of Greer and some homes have been burned but no details. They are working hard to stop it on that side.
On Tuesday I was taken behind the fire line by Navajo Sherriff Clark and Apache Sheriff Dedman. Navajo County Supervisor David Tenney also went. We went through Nutrioso and Alpine out to Luna Lake and 10 miles up towards Hannagan Meadows. I could not see any homes burned from the road. In some areas that had been thinned, the fire had laid down on the ground and burned cooler and there are still some green trees there. Sides of the mountains were burn hot and only sticks are left. There was so much smoke in some places you could not see the mountain to know just how much was burned. Gobblers Peak in Alpine is very burned. The fire fighters were up in there protecting the homes at the back of the meadow. Fire is still spot burning below Gobblers Peak and all the way on the west side of Hwy 191 as we drove up towards Hannagan Meadow. The fire was also still spot burning on the east side of Hwy 191. It had burned down behind the grade school, but I could not see any homes that had been burned. The fire fighters had worked in there. It is burning hard towards Luna on the south side of Hwy 180 behind the Country Club and down into the Blue Wilderness area. The smoke was very heavy that direction. But the briefing today indicated that homes are safe.
On the side of Luna Lake to the North, the back side of the mountain all the way to Escudilla, the fire was hot and making huge plumes. We went up Big Lake Road about 5 miles. The fire was spot burning everywhere - the farther we went, the more fire. We had to turn around to get back for the community meeting in Eagar. In some ways it was not as bad as I had expected, and then in other ways it was what I expected.
It was burning at Nelson Reservoir and came into the south end of Eagar. But it came into Eagar also all along the south back side and especially where the road to Big Lake is. But no homes have been burned. The urban fire fighters are stationed to fight the fires around the homes.
We saw elk. Seven huge bull elk were bedded down in the field on the road to the school. Saw them in open spaces in the meadows trying to get away from the fire. Also saw a sad sight; as we were going up Hwy 191, both sides of the road had fire burning and 9 cow elk were trying to get away from the fire running from one side into the fire again.
God is blessing our homes and the fire fighters; it is truly a miracle, but our forest will look different from now on.
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SALVATION ARMY
This branch of the Salvation Army is located in Lakeside and is serving the Wallow fire communities. Money is preferred over commodities. They will accept anything that someone is willing to offer, but money allows them the most opportunities to help people. With money, they can purchase bulk food items and help people with housing, utility bills, and a much wider range of needs. If you would like to make a cash donation, mark your check "White Mountains" or "Wallow Fire" and mail it to:
Salvation ArmyIf you prefer not to give cash but would like to give something else, the most needed item is meat. Meat must be frozen brick hard. When they serve a meal, they must serve everyone the same item (stressed-out people get cranky if they don't get their choice, so each meal must have identical items for everyone). Don't be exotic unless you plan to bring a lot. Hamburger is welcome. (Frozen, please.)
P.O. Box 490 Show Low, AZ 85902
DO NOT BRING HOT FOOD. THEY CANNOT USE IT.
Donations of food and other items can be dropped off at: Salvation Army 4367 W. White Mountain Blvd. #8A Lakeside, AZ 85929 928-368-9953
UNITED FOOD BANK
United Food Bank is helping to provide food for the Wallow Fire emergency. As with the Salvation Army, they can be more efficient with monetary donations than with commodities. Go to this link to contribute to the United Food Bank: http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_southeast_valley/mesa/united-food-bank-sending-truckloads-of-food-to-wallow-fire-victims-
Sylvia Allen
Senator Sylvia Allen
President Pro Tempore
602-926-5219
sallen@azleg.gov
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