Out of control
Wallow Fire largest in Arizona history
By Marley Shebala
Navajo Times
WINDOW ROCK, June 9, 2011
(Special to the Times - Donovan Quintero)
The San Carlos Apache 19 Type II Initial Attack from San Carlos, Ariz., has been fighting the Wallow Fire since it began on May 29. Earlier Wednesday they were digging fire lines when they were forced to leave when high winds strengthened the fire.
(Special to the Times - Donovan Quintero)
View a video of a firefighter from San Carlos on the scene of the fire. (Please allow a while for the video to load.)
That's according to fire reports posted on Wildfire Today (wildfiretoday.com) by the Southwest Incident Management Team on Wednesday.
The team reported that 10 structures have burned, but provided no further information about where the structures were located as of press time on Wednesday, June 8, 2011.
Meanwhile, by late Wednesday the fire was moving north towards Eager and Springerville, the largest town in the area.
The Wallow Fire, which started about 18 miles southwest of Alpine on May 29, is now the second largest fire in Arizona's history after the Rodeo/Chediski fire, which consumed 468,638 acres between Show Low and Heber in 2002.
Fire officials believe the Wallow Fire started at an unattended campfire. They also said two other fires currently burning in Arizona, the 166-square-mile Horseshoe 2 in southeastern Arizona and the 67,051-acre Murphy near the Arizona-Mexico border, are human-caused.
The Wallow Fire has forced the evacuation of Alpine, Sunrise, Greer, Blue River, Nutrioso, Hannagan Meadow Lodge, Sprucedale Guest Ranch, Brentwood Church Camp, Hannagan campground, KP campground, West Fork Black River campground, East Fork Black River campground, Escudilla Mountain Estates, Bonita White Mountain Acres, Dog Patch and H-V Ranch.
On Tuesday, residents of Eagar and South Fork were evacuated. Residents of Springerville and Luna, N.M., are on a pre-evacuation alert.
Evacuees can take shelter at Blue Ridge High School (1200 W. White Mountain Blvd.) in Pinetop/Lakeside.
Residents with livestock or animals that need care should contact the Apache County Sheriff's Office at 928-337-4321 or the Greenlee County Sheriff's Office at 928-865-4149.
Fire officials reported Wednesday that high winds were driving the Wallow Fire north and east towards New Mexico. Eagar is about 18 miles west of the Arizona-New Mexico border.
High winds, dry lightning strikes, low humidity, and extremely dry range and forest have contributed to rapid spread of the fire, which was still zero percent contained on Wednesday.
On Monday, Gov. Jan Brewer declared a state of emergency, releasing $200,000 in state funding for post-fire suppression and paving the way for the federal government to pay 75 percent of the cost to fight the Wallow Fire. A state Emergency Operations Center was established near the Arizona National Guard headquarters in Phoenix.
On Wednesday, fire officials estimated that the cost of fighting the Wallow Fire was $8 million and growing.
The state emergency center has also been assigned the task of mitigating expected floods once annual monsoons descend on areas burned by the fire.
The 2,140 firefighters, which include 27 hotshot crews and 29 hand crews, are supported by eight bulldozers, 141 fire engines, 46 water tenders and 20 helicopters.
The Arizona National Guard announced on Monday that it is supporting the firefighters with three 2,500-gallon fuel tankers and associated crews.
The mammoth size of the Wallow Fire has forced the federal Southwest Incident Management Team to establish another command team to help the local unit manage a massive multi-team fire operation and to coordinate firefighting personnel, equipment and aircraft.
There are now four incident management teams assigned geographically around the fire.
Information: 593.org, InciWeb or 928-333-3412 (7 a.m. to 10 p.m.).
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