Animals displaced by Arizona fires

The Arizona fires have hit really hard. Here is an article about how they are working to save family pets and livestock. On the lower right hand side you can find a link on how you can help.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articl...animals23.html

My aunt lives about 8 miles from Show Low, they evacuated her last night and she was on her way to New Mexico with her hubby and animals. She has cancer and was suppose to have surgery thursday morning but couldnt because they evacuated all the hospitals and nursing homes.

I just hope everything works out for the best after this thing goes away.


-Mazzy

This fire is enormous! It's the biggest in the nation!

This is just so sad!! I feel so bad for all the people and the animals living there. I hope they can somehow get it under control.

It's not looking good. The governor is doing all that she can to get Federal disaster money. I hope that all of those tree-huggers enjoy hiking through acres of ash and charred timber. This fire is going to break a lot of people who depend on tourism. Summer people are the lifeblood of the White Mts.

I feel for everyone affected by this fire. I don't know how it is in AZ, but here they have done a wonderful job of providing for the displaced animals because of the fires.

Cindy - keep us updated on this fire. I know for a fact, with the Hayman Fire so close to me, that national news and what trickles down to our local news generally isn't even close to the truth.

Thats horrible that everyone is being evacuated. At least there are some nice people out there like Bob, who is there to save everyone's animals.

MSNBC has good coverage, on the fire. The Forest Service has restricted the airspace for news choppers. Understandably, they need to get the water drops in there and don't need news choppers cluttering up the area. After the C-130 crash, last week, they're being more careful, with aircraft. About 50 people have refused to leave their homes. I don't know if they can be forced out. Three shelters have been set up, on three sides of the fire. Cooler overnight temps and lower winds have helped, a bit. The fire has a 50-mile-long front, though. It doesn't look good for Show Low.

According to the latest news, the firefighters are going to let the fire have Show Low and save what they can. Its less than a mile from the city center. Firefighters have red-flagged houses that are indefensible. The finger-pointing has, already started: the White Mountain Apache tribe and the Forest Service firefighters are being blamed for letting the Rodeo fire get out of control. It was a fairly small fire and WAS under control, until a wind shift blew it up. After four years of drought conditions and fifty years of poor forest management, it doesn't take much to cause these humongous fires. The forests may, never recover.

The fire is within 1/2 mile of Show Low. Pres. Bush is speaking with the evacuees and relief workers, as I'm typing this. FEMA money and assistance is, already on the way. He, also, called for sensible forest management, so that the forests don't become "kindling boxes". 30,000 people have been evacuated and 325 homes burned. It will take years to recover from this one.

I can't even imagine the size of this fire. The one here is at 137,000 acres, and they said that it is the size of Chicago or Las Vegas. That one is 351,000 acres.

Cindy - how far away are you from the fire? Sorry, I don't know my AZ geography very well, and they aren't showing state maps on TV.

It's good that Federal money is coming for all those people. Hopefully all these fires will be a wake up call to all the environmental groups who oppose forestry management. These forests are not in a "natural" condition. If left to their own devices, there is fire every so often to cull the forest. Unfortunately, the government has bowed to the radicals' wishes and not kept the forests in a healthy state by prescribed burns and culling of trees.

I'm about 200 miles southeast. Some smoke and ash are blowing this way, though.

YOu can see the smoke from Tuscon? I live in Gilbert, and haven't seen any yet...... I thought on the news it said the fire was the size of Glendale, Phoenix, Chandler and Tempe put together? I think it will take out Sho Low. Someone at work seems to think it will burn all the way thru the rim.

No, we can't SEE the smoke but particulates from it are showing up in our air quality tests.

A Bureau of Indian Affairs firefighter has been arrested and charged with setting the Rodeo Fire. He will be arraigned tomorrow. The Chediski portion was set by a lost hiker. The firefighter is looking at a long stretch in a Federal pen, $250,000 fine and restitution: cost to fight the fire and property losses.

On a happier note: 25,000 evacuees were allowed to go home, yesterday. Most of them still have homes. Pinedale was hit hard, though. They lost their fire station. A couple of reporters AND video crews from CNN and ABC were banned from the area. Paxon, the Forest Service honcho, in charge of the fire, said that he didn't want people, who didn't already know, to see their houses burning on TV. He seems to be showing a great deal of sensitivity, to those who may have lost everything. This guy isn't just another faceless government bureaucrat. I hope he gets some kind of recognition and a well-deserved vacation.