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Nighthiker
Joined: 05 Jan 2003
Posts: 1714
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 Posted: 2/9/2006, 6:05 am Post subject: |
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| Regarding Plan B, if they close the forest (an earlier post I said they will close in Feb.) take up cycling. Several years ago due to forest closures, I returned to cycling and having a great time. |
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Cholla
Joined: 26 Oct 2005
Posts: 379
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| Posted: 2/9/2006, 7:32 am Post subject: |
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So much for taking the kayaks up to Knoll Lake to escape the heat this summer.  |
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paintninaz
Joined: 06 Jan 2003
Posts: 3515
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| Posted: 2/9/2006, 7:52 am Post subject: |
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anyone got a spare bike for sale? 
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~Tracy
“Friends make the bad times good — and the good times unforgettable.” |
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mike
What box?
Joined: 30 Dec 2002
Posts: 3134
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| Posted: 2/9/2006, 1:53 pm Post subject: Tonto wildfire spreads |
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| azcentral.com wrote: |
Tonto wildfire spreads
Michael Clancy
The Arizona Republic
Feb. 9, 2006 07:00 AM
Crews battling flames and smoke are trying to keep a 1,300-acre wildfire burning in rugged terrain 12 miles north of Payson from reaching a Boy Scout camp outside Pine.
Meanwhile, some progress is being reported in the battle against Arizona's first major wildfire of the season. Tonto National Forest spokeswoman Emily Garber said the "February" fire - which is burning 12 miles north of Payson - is now 20 percent contained.
A specialized firefighting crew took over responsibility Wednesday for the fire burning along the Mogollon Rim. The move indicated how seriously officials are taking the fire, which spread rapidly through rugged country that has not received normal winter rain and snow. Last year, the first fire on the Tonto National Forest to reach this size began in May.
Garber said specialized teams are called in when a fire is deemed to be too complex for local firefighters. Factors such as the dryness of the forest, the proximity to homes or other structures and how the fire is moving are considered when calling in advanced crews.
"These are more experienced firefighters with a more formalized setup," she said.
This week's fire has confirmed officials' fears of an early and long wildfire season this year because of the severely dry conditions.
Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona expressed concern that not enough money is available in the proposed federal budget to prevent and contain wildfires in a time of drought.
In a letter to President Bush, Kyl cited proposed reductions in funds used to prevent and fight fires and to promote healthy forests. "The situation is reaching a critical point as the Southwest prepares to confront an unparalleled fire season," he said.
Kyl's letter echoed concerns expressed by Gov. Janet Napolitano in late December letters to the secretaries of Interior and Agriculture, which oversee federal lands.
"The fire season already has begun," Kyl wrote, citing the February fire.
Unexpected nighttime winds, forest dryness and an abundance of dead trees, logs and other plants are fueling the fire, which grew to 1,250 acres on Wednesday. The fire started at an abandoned campfire atop the Rim.
Wind was calm during the day, though firefighters were bracing for a late-afternoon surge of wind generated by the warming of the day. On Wednesday, the temperature reached 71 in Payson, about 10 miles south of the fire, about 14 degrees above normal for Feb. 8.
Garber said firefighters are establishing a perimeter and stationing equipment at Camp Geronimo, a Boy Scout facility about two miles away, in the event the fire gets close enough to threaten it.
Boy Scout executive Larry Abbott said that no one is at the camp, used by 9,000 campers during the summer, and that it is not believed to be in danger.
Garber said summer home communities and a Girl Scout camp to the east, as well as Pine and Strawberry to the west, are not threatened.
A prescribed burn conducted two months ago around structures at Bray Creek Ranch, near the Scout camp, proved effective, Garber said. The fire skirted that area, which is exactly what is supposed to happen. By burning dry timber and clearing away brush, there is no fuel to feed wildfires.
Garber said three helicopters were dropping water on the fire, and two air tankers were en route. About 170 firefighters are fighting the fire and nine fire engines are on hand.
Meanwhile, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality deployed air-monitoring equipment near Payson, Pine and Strawberry to keep track of air quality.
"We want to notify the public immediately if the smoke poses a risk," department Director Steve Owens said.
"We want to make sure that we take every precaution to protect area residents from any potential health effects from the smoke." |
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0209FebFire09-ON.html
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