The
Payson Ranger District Wildland Firefighters boast
some of the best cooperation, commitment and success rates
in the nation.
Over the last 14 years, the incidents
of successful containment of wildfires originating on the
Payson Ranger District's more than 460,000 acres is
remarkable.
The district, which surrounds the town
of Payson and spans north to the Mogollon Rim, has surpassed
the national average for catching wildfires at less than .5
of an acre for the past 14 years, 11 of which have been
plagued by drought.
"The national average for catching
wildfires, with initial attack at .5 acre or less, is less
than 68 percent," said Gary Roberts, district fire
prevention officer. "Our 14-year average (since 1993) is
84.8 percent.
"And they were disappointed that the
average wasn't higher," he added.
So far this year, the stats are
keeping with tradition. There have been 11 fires in the
Payson district since January. Nine of them have been
contained at .5 acre or less. One spread to .7 acre before
it was contained and one reached 1.7 acres before
firefighters could control it.
In 2006, the district saw 102 fires,
87 of which were contained at .5 acre or less.
When considering the vastness of the
area and that there are only 40 firefighters on the Payson
Ranger District's wildland firefighting staff, more than 85
percent containment speaks for itself.
"Our fire personnel here have a lot of
wildland fire savvy," Roberts said.
Roberts believes the commitment to
excellence and preparation has been the key in limiting
large-scale wildfires in an area so dangerously ideal for
them.
"The bottom line is they have a quick
response time," he said. "We zone our firefighters all over
the forest during the fire season. When smoke reports come
in, they're very close by to pick it up."
Bob MacGregor lives
within feet of a firebreak -- one of many around the
community. MacGregor says he feels very safe,
compared to eight years ago.
Roberts said that cooperation among
firefighting entities in the Rim Country also contributes to
the relative safety residents here have experienced when it
comes to wildfires.
"Our cooperation with rural fire
departments and the Payson Fire Department has really come
along," he said. "It's not a turf thing. We've come to an
agreement. If any of us are closer, we're going to address
it. That's really been key."
Preventive efforts that work
Nationally, a staggering 90 percent of
wildfires are caused by human carelessness. The Payson
district bests that national average as well.
In 1993, 54 percent of all wildfires
in the district were human-caused. In 2006, that number
dropped to 7.8 percent.
From 2000 through 2006, human-caused
wildfires decreased by about 41 percent over the previous
seven-year period from 1993 to 1999, Roberts said.
Awareness and preventive efforts have
made and will continue to make the Payson district safer and
smarter than many others across the nation.
Roberts said that fuels reduction
efforts in the district are necessary tools for preventing
wildfires from running rampant.
In 2001, the Payson Ranger District
began implementation of a long-range, landscape-scale fuels
reduction strategy. The achievable goal of the fuels
reduction project, Roberts said, is to decrease the
catastrophic wildfire dangerin the Rim Country, to initiate
the restoration of natural ecological systems and to develop
and foster sustainable forest conditions.
"Since our plan's inception, we have
successfully thinned more than 8,000 acres on critical,
difficult, high-priority land adjacent to communities
throughout our district," he said. "In 2004, we created a
330-foot wide fuel break, completely around the communities
of Pine and Strawberry."
Don Nunley, Payson district fuel
specialist, said that major efforts have been completed and
are in progress to protect the communities in the Rim
Country.
A firebreak encompassing the south end
of Payson was completed in September 2006, Nunley said.
Currently, a 2,070 acre thinning and
piling effort is near completion, which better protects
Payson, Pine/Strawberry, Star Valley, Diamond Point Shadows
and East Verde Park.
"It is two weeks from being done,"
Nunley said.
"That's a huge accomplishment, because
it (took) a lot of money."
May 8, 2007, 10:43PM Big Georgia fire heads into Florida
SANDERSON, Fla. — Crews already battling more than 200 wildfires
across Florida faced a new threat Tuesday as a huge blaze in Georgia
moved toward the state line and a smaller fire crossed it.
Besides the sheer number of fires, high wind and tinder-dry
conditions made it difficult to battle the Florida blazes, which had
covered about 78 square miles, or 50,000 acres. Authorities
evacuated about 300 homes in north Florida on Tuesday and hundreds
more residents were on evacuation standby.
"The weather expected is red-flag conditions for all of Florida,"
said Jim Harrell, a state Division of Forestry spokesman.
Gov. Charlie Crist declared a state of emergency for Florida last
week.
In southeastern Georgia, crews were battling two fires less than
10 miles apart — one that had blackened about 107,000 acres, or 167
square miles, and another that had covered 40,000 acres, or 62.5
square miles.
The smaller fire crossed into Florida on Tuesday and was
threatening Taylor, a small town with one store and no cell phone
coverage, said Baker County Sheriff Joey Dobson.
"All the homes are scattered about various roads in the county,"
he said. "We are just getting prepared for the fire to come into
this area."
The bigger Georgia wildfire, that state's largest on record, was
being pushed by northeasterly wind deeper into the Okefenokee Swamp
and toward Florida, said Devon Dartnell, a spokesman for the
firefighters' joint information center in Georgia.
Meanwhile, officials prepared to evacuate staff in Georgia's
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge as the blaze neared part of the
park that has served as a fire crew command post.
In the Upper Midwest, a wildfire near the Canadian border in
northeastern Minnesota had burned nearly 26 square miles since it
was spotted Saturday, destroying around 40 buildings, including
multimillion-dollar mansions, and forcing more than 100 people to
evacuate.
Authorities said they believe it started at a campsite just
outside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.
"There are some houses up there where all there is left is the
foundation," said Leif Lunde of the Cook County Sheriff's
Department. No injuries were reported, but Lunde said about 30 of
the burned buildings were homes or cabins; the rest were
outbuildings.
In Los Angeles, a 150- to 200-acre wildfire roiled through rugged
brush-covered hills in the city's sprawling Griffith Park,
triggering evacuations.
The blaze began around 1:30 p.m. at the park, which covers more
than 4,000 acres on the hills between Hollywood and the San Fernando
Valley. Hundreds of firefighters and five water-dropping helicopters
rushed to the landmark park.
Rangers evacuated the park's Vermont Canyon area, which includes
the Los Angeles Zoo, two golf facilities, a merry-go-round and a
school, a city spokeswoman said.
To the south in San Diego County, a 1,250-acre fire that began on
a training range at Camp Pendleton was slowing and 80 percent
contained late Tuesday afternoon, the Marine Corps said in a press
release.
No injuries or structural damage were reported.
___
Associated Press writers Amy Forliti in Grand Marais, Minn.;
Peter Prengaman in Los Angeles; Travis Reed in Orlando, Fla.; and
Daniel Yee in Atlanta contributed to this report.
TALLAHASSEE -- With firefighters already battling the worst
outbreak of wildfires in nearly a decade, state leaders warn that it
could get worse as blazes from Georgia move across the border into
Florida's dry woodlands.
Florida disaster leaders are considering calling in National Guard
ground troops to relieve state firefighters and increase numbers
battling the biggest blazes.
"Even if the fires don't get any worse, we'll need help," said Jim
Harrell, spokesman for the Florida Division of Forestry. "We're at the
stage where we're really close to being capped out."
Ignited by what state weather officials called "explosive" conditions,
state forest firefighters and local officials spent Tuesday battling
more than 200 fires across 43,500 acres, including outbreaks that
closed parts of Interstate 75 in Sarasota County and forced
evacuations from a dozen homes in Naples.
Most of the fires were started by lightning.
With nearly 150,000 acres already burned this year, officials say the
2007 fire season is shaping up to be as severe as 1998's, when more
than 500,000 acres burned state-wide.
No one has been injured by this week's fires. A half-dozen homes have
been destroyed.
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson on Tuesday issued an
emergency order, banning the burning of yard waste by homeowners until
weather conditions improve.
At the state emergency operation center Tuesday, Gov. Charlie Crist
warned residents not to contribute to the problem by building camp
fires or being careless with cigarettes.
"Be careful with fire," Crist said. "Firecrackers, you should not be
utilizing them. Barbecues, you should not be doing them."
The fire threat got so severe Tuesday afternoon that emergency
officials canceled a practice session designed to help them prepare
for Florida's more high-profile weather danger -- hurricane season.
"We had to switch gears to deal with the real-life situation," said
emergency operations spokesman Mike Stone.
Evacuations were ordered in spots throughout the state Tuesday.
But Florida's biggest danger came from two blazes burning around
Georgia's Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge at the Florida border.
The smaller of the two fires -- covering 30,000 acres -- quickly
spread 10 miles into Florida overnight Monday, forcing evacuation of
homes in the tiny Baker County town of Taylor, which was nearly
leveled by fires almost four years ago.
The larger fire, covering about 100,000 acres and the biggest in
Georgia history, could spread into Florida as well, officials said.
If the situation worsens, officials could ask firefighters in other
states for help to battle the blazes.
The National Guard, which has already supplied helicopters to drop
water on the fires, also will likely be brought in to help put out
blazes that have been contained, Harrell said.
Craig Fugate, director of Florida's emergency management department,
said there were parallels with the 1998 season, when wildfires forced
the evacuation of Flagler County. In 1998, like this year, deadly
tornadoes in the winter came before a dry spring. Then Hurricane
Georges hit the state that summer, he said.
Last modified: May
09. 2007 12:00AM
TALLAHASSEE -- With firefighters already battling the worst
outbreak of wildfires in nearly a decade, state leaders warn that it
could get worse as blazes from Georgia move across the border into
Florida.
Wildfire
Blazes Behind LA Observatory
May 9, 7:42 AM (ET)
By CHRISTINA ALMEIDA
(AP) A wildfire rages behind the Griffith Observatory in
Griffith Park north of downtown Los Angeles on...
Full Image
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Firefighters made progress early Wednesday
against a wildfire blazing over Dante's View in the brush-covered
hills behind the city's iconic Griffith Observatory. Animals at the
nearby Los Angeles Zoo were moved indoors, and dozens of homes were
evacuated.
The 600-acre blaze in sprawling Griffith Park was just one
firefighters were battling across the nation. A wildfire in northern
Minnesota has already destroyed 40 homes and buildings, and brush
fires in Georgia and northern Florida have charred more than 200
square miles.
Overnight, five helicopters flew dangerous water-dropping
missions in Los Angeles, helping fire crews get the blaze about 40
percent contained.
Griffith Park is a mix of wilderness, cultural sites, horse
and hiking trails and recreational facilities set on more than 4,000
acres in the hills between Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley.
(AP) Los Angels Home Burns
Visitors to its Greek Theatre, Observatory and the Museum of the
American West were told to leave. At the Autry National Center,
which includes a museum of Western artifacts, staff threw tarps over
the collections to protect them in case the sprinkler system went
off, said Faith Raiguel, chief operating officer.
The flames forced officials to put most of the Los Angeles
Zoo's 1,200 animals inside holding quarters.
"So far the animals are faring fine," said Jason Jacobs,
director of marketing and public relations for the zoo. "I haven't
heard any reports of anything going wrong."
About 35 people who live near the park, out of an estimated
300 evacuated from nearby homes, checked in to an evacuation center
at a high school.
"I was just able to get a few things," said Ed Stephan, 83,
who helped his wife into their car as ashes fell from the sky.
"We're not too worried but want to get out of here and observe the
law."
Authorities hoped residents would be able to return to their
homes by evening.
The fire destroyed Dante's View, a trailside terraced garden
on Mount Hollywood, said City Councilman Tom LaBonge.
"This is a very sad night for Los Angeles," he said.
Elsewhere in the region, a 300-acre fire near California State
University at San Bernardino was 75 percent contained. There were no
reports of damages or injuries.
In neighboring Orange County, a 140-acre fire in Featherly
Regional Park and a 1,250-acre fire on a training range at Camp
Pendleton were at least three-quarters contained.
(AP) California Department of Forestry firefighter Brad
Lowry, right, speaks with a Los Angeles...
Full Image
On the East Coast, authorities evacuated about 300 homes in
northern Florida as two fires totaling 130,000 acres - about 203
square miles - continued to rage on the Georgia-Florida line.
Florida officials warned that they might soon need help if the
blazes grow out of control.
A 107,000-acre blaze in Georgia's Okefenokee National Wildlife
Refuge was called the largest blaze in state history and was nearing
part of the park that has served as a fire crew command post.
Another fire 10 miles away covered 40,000 acres.
The smaller fire crossed into Florida on Tuesday and was
threatening Taylor, a small town with one store and no cell phone
coverage, said Baker County Sheriff Joey Dobson.
In the Midwest, a wildfire near the Canadian border in
northeastern Minnesota had burned 16,266 acres since it was spotted
Saturday. It destroyed around 40 buildings, including
multimillion-dollar homes, and forced more than 100 people to
evacuate.
Authorities said they believe it started at a campsite just
outside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.
(AP) Wildfires illuminate the night sky in the Loz Feliz
area of Los Angeles Tuesday, May 8, 2007. Late...
Full Image
"There are some houses up there where all there is left is the
foundation," said Leif Lunde of the Cook County Sheriff's
Department. No injuries were reported, but Lunde said about 30 of
the burned buildings were homes or cabins.
---
Associated Press writer Ron Word in Florida and Amy Forliti in
Minnesota contributed to this report.
AVALON, Calif., May 10, 2007 (CNS) - A wind-driven 400-acre
wildfire churned across Santa Catalina Island on Thursday toward
Avalon, the major city on the resort isle more than 20 miles off
Southern California. Evacuations were under way.
The fire was moving southeast through brush, prompting
officials to evacuate residents from hilltop homes toward the
beach area, said Los Angeles County fire Capt. Ron Haralson.
Smoke darkened the sky over Avalon's quaint crescent
harbor, the landmark 1929 Catalina Casino and homes, restaurants
and tiny hotels that cling to slopes rising sharply above the
waterfront.
"There's an eerie glow over the town, we need to leave,"
Dan Teckenoff, publisher of the Catalina Islander, said in a
telephone interview with The Associated Press.
The island's school and hospital voluntarily evacuated,
Teckenoff said.
"It looks like the fire is over the ridge. You hear
helicopters flying, you see the smoke," he said.
The blaze erupted about 12:30 p.m. five miles east of the
island's Airport in the Sky. It was fanned by winds moving at 15
mph and gusts of up to 20 mph, Haralson said.
"That's not good, not when it's dry and the terrain is
hard to access by ground," Haralson said.
One county firefighter was overcome by smoke and
hospitalized in stable condition.
More than 100 firefighters, aided by four water-dropping
helicopters, were battling the blaze. Three air tankers swooped
low over ridges and canyons to drop lines of orange fire
retardant ahead of the flames.
The air attack seemed to be working, said Chuck Martin, a
resident insurance agent.
"We see as the retardant hits it, it kind of puts itself
out," he said. "These guys are doing a real bang-up job."
State and county fire crews and engines were being shipped
from to the island by hovercraft from the Marine Corps' Camp
Pendleton, said Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California
Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The hovercraft trip
takes one hour to reach Catalina.
Late in the day the state received permission to use
National Guard helicopters to fly 70 inmate firefighters across
the channel.
"We can see heavy smoke from where we're at," said Art
Peguero from the Hotel Mac Rae on the beach in Avalon. "I was
born and raised here and I've never seen anything like this."
Peguero said about 20 hotel guests left and headed to the
beach.
"They have no choice but to stay on the beach until
further notice," he said.
Avalon resident Steve Adams said he was watching from his
deck as helicopters dropped water on flames burning down a ridge
toward town.
"Half the town has already been evacuated," Adams said by
telephone.
"I've been here 25 years, and I've seen a few little fires
but never anything like this," he said.
Efe Casellas, an employee at the Avalon Liquor Store and
Gifts, said several customers stopped by to stock up on water
and juice. "Right now we're just waiting," he said.
A huge plume of smoke was visible from the mainland.
Despite being well offshore, Catalina has been left
parched by the lack of rainfall that has made the rest of
Southern California easy prey for wildfires like the one that
gave Los Angeles a scare this week.
Only 2 inches of rain have fallen on Catalina since
January, said National Weather Service meteorologist Jamie
Meier.
Catalina is a long, narrow island covering 76 square miles
and is served by ferry boats from Los Angeles, Long Beach and
other mainland harbors.
Avalon has a population of 3,200 that swells to more than
10,000 on weekends and in summer, according to the Catalina
Island Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau.
Avalon harbor and the island's other moorings are popular
destinations for yachts.
Most the island is owned by the Santa Catalina Island
Conservancy.
Hundreds flee southern California island wildfire
Associated Press
Last
updated: Friday, May 11th, 2007
AVALON, CALIFORNIA -- Fire
crews are getting the upper hand on a blaze that's
triggered evacuations on the island of Santa
Catalina off the coast of southern California.
The fire chief says weather conditions are
helping keep property safe.
Hundreds of residents have left the island
by ferry. One resident says the falling ash looked
like snow.
Fire broke out Thursday afternoon and has
scorched 4000 acres. It's being fed by dry brush
and a steady wind. The island that's about 30
miles offshore has gotten only two inches of rain
since January.
One home and a few small businesses in the
canyons outside the city of Avalon have burned.
Avalon has a population of 3200 that swells
to more than 10,000 on weekends and in the summer.
North Florida Fires Force Interstate
Closures
May 12, 2007
COLOMBIA COUNTY,
Fla. -- The huge wildfires in Baker and Colombia
Counties in north Florida forced officials to close large
sections of I-10 and I-75 because of heavy smoke on Saturday.
There was zero visibility on parts of those interstates and
there were several traffic crashes.
State authorities closed I-10 from US 129 north of Live Oak
to US 90 in Sanderson and I-75 from US 90/Lake City to Georgia
SR 31.
The State Emergency Operations Center is operating at full
activation, Level 1, to deal with the fires which have caused
evacuations in areas of the northern part of the state.
Shelters have been opened up in Colombia County.
Copyright 2007 by wftv.com. All
rights reserved
Fires
surpass 330,000 acres burnt in Ga., Fla. 05/13/2007
The Associated Press
WAYCROSS — Officials closed a 35-mile stretch of Interstate
75 from the Georgia-Florida state line to Lake City, Fla.,
as well as a 40-mile stretch of Interstate 10, from U.S. 90
to U.S. 129, as a gigantic wildfire approached them Saturday
morning.
‘‘It’s smoke and fog right now, but the fire is not far,’’
said Bill Hamilton with the joint fire information center.
He said he expected the road closure to be in effect for at
least several hours.
Georgia authorities also closed the southbound lanes on
Interstate 75 for about 15 miles, from Valdosta to the state
line, because of the smoke Saturday afternoon, and warned
drivers the northbound lanes might be next because of
severely diminished visibility.
Florida officials said they could attribute at least four
accidents on the two highways and area roads to smoke and
that some roads were at ‘‘near zero visibility’’ during
morning hours.
The largest accident appeared to be a five-car crash that
occurred on the interchange between the two highways that is
northwest of Lake City. One person was transported to a
hospital, but the extent of the injuries was unknown, said
Columbia County spokesman Harvey Campbell.
Firefighters expected some help from ‘‘a calmer day’’ with
winds only around 5 to 10 mph Saturday as they battled two
giant wildfires in southeast Georgia and northern Florida
that have already burned more than 330,000 acres.
Fires
surpass 330,000 acres burnt in Ga., Fla. 05/13/2007
The Associated Press
WAYCROSS — Officials closed a 35-mile stretch of Interstate
75 from the Georgia-Florida state line to Lake City, Fla.,
as well as a 40-mile stretch of Interstate 10, from U.S. 90
to U.S. 129, as a gigantic wildfire approached them Saturday
morning.
‘‘It’s smoke and fog right now, but the fire is not far,’’
said Bill Hamilton with the joint fire information center.
He said he expected the road closure to be in effect for at
least several hours.
Georgia authorities also closed the southbound lanes on
Interstate 75 for about 15 miles, from Valdosta to the state
line, because of the smoke Saturday afternoon, and warned
drivers the northbound lanes might be next because of
severely diminished visibility.
Florida officials said they could attribute at least four
accidents on the two highways and area roads to smoke and
that some roads were at ‘‘near zero visibility’’ during
morning hours.
The largest accident appeared to be a five-car crash that
occurred on the interchange between the two highways that is
northwest of Lake City. One person was transported to a
hospital, but the extent of the injuries was unknown, said
Columbia County spokesman Harvey Campbell.
Firefighters expected some help from ‘‘a calmer day’’ with
winds only around 5 to 10 mph Saturday as they battled two
giant wildfires in southeast Georgia and northern Florida
that have already burned more than 330,000 acres.
Ponderosa Fire grows to
10 acres - Arizona -Saturday, May 12, 2007
The Ponderosa
Fire has grown to 10 acres on the south
side of Highway 260, 20 miles east of Payson off
of Highway 260. The fire jumped the road and
burned in spots on the north side of the highway.
As of 6 p.m., the fire has
not been contained.
The wildfire started at
around noon today, May 12.
One Hotshot crew, three fire
crews, one helicopter, two airtankers and one lead
plane are battling the blaze.
Firefighters are concerned
about wind conditions in the area, according to
the Tonto National Forest Fire Information Office.
The cause of the fire is
still under investigation.
No structures have been
damaged.
As of 6 p.m., there are no
road closures on Highway 260, according to the
Gila County Sheriff's Office.
For the most up to date
information on closures or restrictions on Highway
260, visit this Web site, payson.com, call the
Gila County Sheriff's Office at (928)425-4449 or
visit the Arizona Department of Transportation Web
site,
http://www.az511.com/hcrsweb/hcrsweb.jsp.
Thousands evacuated as New Jersey
wildfire spreads
AFP
Wednesday, May 16, 2007 18:17 IST
WASHINGTON: A wildfire raged across the
northeastern US state of New Jersey on
Wednesday, forcing thousands of people
to evacuate in the latest in a series of
such blazes to strike the United States
this month.
The fire spread through a nature
reserve area in the southern part of the
state overnight after being ignited when
an F-16 jet fighter on a routine
training mission dropped a flare on dry
pinelands.
The warplane had been practicing the
use of a self-defense system in which
flares are fired as decoys to mislead
heat-seeking missiles, a spokesman for
the New Jersey National Guard told the
New York Times.
Around 2,500 people had to be
evacuated from their homes and as many
as 13,500 acres of land were torched, a
New Jersey fire official told a news
conference.
"We still have a lot of work to do
with the fire. We need to get
containment around the perimeter," he
said.
"This fire will not be out until
mother nature puts it out with a really
good rainstorm," he said, adding that
firefighters had only about 10 percent
of the fire contained by morning.
Fires last week tore through
California and Florida, forcing mass
evacuations and burning hundreds of
thousands of acres but causing no
casualties.
New Jersey blaze blackens 20 square
miles
POSTED: 1231 GMT (2031 HKT), May 16, 2007
(AP) -- Strong wind gusts
pushed flames through 20 square
miles of brush north of Atlantic
City, New Jersey, in a blaze
sparked when a military jet
dropped a flare on a bombing
range.
About 2,500 homes
along the border between Ocean and
Burlington counties were
evacuated, but no casualties had
been reported. The fire damaged
six mobile homes in Pinewood
Estates, Forest Fire Service
spokesman Willie Cirone said.
Lt. Col. James Garcia, a
spokesman for the New Jersey Air
National Guard, said the fire was
believed to have been started
Tuesday afternoon with a flare
dropped from an F-16 fighter jet
on the Warren Grove Gunnery Range.
Firefighters created fire
breaks along the Garden State
Parkway to try to contain the
blaze, Cirone said. Showers and
thunderstorms were forecast for
Wednesday, but so were 20 mph
winds.
Those evacuated in included
residents of several retirement
communities, patients from a
nursing home and students from an
outdoor survival school. Nearly
700 people were in shelters
Wednesday morning, Drew Lieb of
the New Jersey State Police said.
"I just grabbed my money, my
credit cards and any important
papers," said Gerry Ulias, 64, a
resident of the Ocean Breeze
development in Stafford Township.
He also grabbed his cat, Tiki, and
then got out, he told the Asbury
Park Press.
The blaze joined several
other major fires burning in the
United States on Wednesday.
Hundreds flee Florida-Georgia
fire
Along the Florida-Georgia
state line, firefighters were
making progress against a blaze
that had charred 390 square miles
across the two states and forced
hundreds of people to evacuate
homes.
The flames jumped
containment lines three times
Monday as brisk winds, low
humidity and high temperatures
made work difficult for an army of
firefighters. But on each
occasion, firefighters were able
to quickly extinguish the blazes.
There were no reports during the
day Tuesday of fires jumping
containment lines.
The fire was raging through
the Osceola National Forest and
heading toward Lake City.
While fire activity was up
Tuesday, most of it was in the
center of the forest, far from
containment lines, said Annaleasa
Winter, a spokeswoman for the
Florida Division of Forestry.
Harvey Campbell, a spokesman
for Columbia County, said 725
homes had been evacuated on both
sides of U.S. 441.
Ashsah Dees, 34, and her
9-year-old daughter, Meagan, were
among those forced out.
"I live in the middle of the
Osceola National Forest. It could
come at my house from any
direction," she said. "You bet I'm
worried."
More evacuations may be
necessary if the fire continues
creeping west, officials said.
Minnesotans can return
Thursday
In northern Minnesota,
residents chased from their homes
by a forest fire on the Gunflint
Trail were told they would be
allowed to return for brief visits
starting Thursday. The fire has
burned 117 square miles of
Minnesota and Canada, and many
cabins and smaller structures have
been destroyed. But two days of
wet, cool weather have helped
firefighters get the blaze 50
percent contained on the U.S.
side.
"I'm dreading to see the
black," said Lorraine Carpenter,
whose garage was lost but home on
Sea Gull Lake survived when the
fire burned through the
surrounding forest. "That is not
going to be pretty."
Wildfire driven by high
winds and fueled by
drought-parched growth destroyed
more than 165 homes and threatened
hundreds more Sunday near Lake
Tahoe, Calif.
The fire broke out Sunday
afternoon, and was threatening the
western boundary of South Lake
Tahoe late Sunday evening, The Los
Angeles Times reported.
The fire had burned at least 750
acres of heavily wooded terrain
that had been severely dried out
by drought conditions.
Officials said at least 1,000
people were evacuated in
communities near the fire -- some
taking refuge at two evacuation
centers in South Lake Tahoe, while
others went to stay with friends
or in hotels. No injuries were
reported as of Sunday night, the
newspaper said.
The fire was believed to be caused
by human activity, the Sacramento
Bee reported Sunday. At least five
air tankers and two helicopters
were battling the blaze, with more
aircraft called in, the Bee said.
Forest service officials said air
operations were suspended at
nightfall Sunday, but would resume
Monday morning.
Winds began to diminish late
Sunday, the Times reported.
Weather Aids
California Firefight
MEYERS,
Calif. - The overnight weather
has helped firefighters
battling a big blaze near Lake
Tahoe. Winds calmed down and
temperatures dipped into the
30s.
A U.S. Forest Service
spokesman says the incident
commander is "feeling very
good."
The wind-driven fire burned
out of control yesterday,
destroying at least 165
structures and forcing about
one-thousand people to
evacuate their homes.
Fire officials warned of a
potentially active wildfire
season in the Sierra Nevada
following an unusually dry
winter. As of May first, the
snowpack in the around the
Tahoe area was just 29 percent
of normal levels.
Investigators blame the fire
on "human activity."
A large fire is burning in
Alaska, too. Crews are working
to protect hundreds of homes
tucked in the Kenai Peninsula,
where flames have destroyed
dozens of homes and cabins.
Crews Struggle with
3,000-acre Fire Near West
Yellowstone
By Jessica Mayrer,
6-29-07
Several wildfires
are burning in Montana and
firefighters are bracing
for a busy summer with
fire danger high,
thunderstorms predicted
and temperatures to remain
warm through the Fourth of
July holiday.
“This is pretty
early to be seeing
‘extreme’ and ‘very high’
fire danger,” said Jack de
Golia, public affairs
officer for the
Beaverhead-Deerlodge
National Forest. “We
usually don’t see this
until mid to late July.”
The Madison Arm Fire
in Southwestern Montana
near West Yellowstone is
the state’s biggest, now 5
percent contained and
nearly 3,000 acres.
Authorities have evacuated
the Baker’s Hole
Campground, Madison Arm
Resort and Lakeshore
Summer Homes, said Erin
Fryer from the Gallatin
National Forest.
Fire crews are
filing into the area in to
protect the 75 homes
currently at risk, Fryer
said.
Yellowstone Holiday
subdivision, Yellowstone
Village, Rainbow Point
Campground and Duck Creek
Campground are on alert
for evacuation.
The cause of the
fire is under
investigation.
The Hebgen Lake
Ranger District,
surrounding the fire, has
implemented Stage I fire
restrictions, limiting
campfires to enclosed
rings and smoking to areas
clear of brush.
Fire officials will
provide more information
on the Madison Arm Fire
tonight at a public
meeting to take place at 7
p.m. in the Community
Protestant Church in West
Yellowstone.
Another fire,
sparked by lightening, is
burning in the Lewis and
Clark National Forest in
central Montana. The
Middle Fork Fire in the
Judith Wilderness Study
Area has burned nearly
1,150 acres 20 miles
southwest of Utica.
No evacuations are
in effect from the Middle
Fork Fire, but there are
several homes within two
miles of the blaze and if
wind picks up, the fire
could take off, said Doug
Dodge, from the
Musselshell Ranger
District.
The fire is 35
percent contained, but
because of steep terrain,
crews could be monitoring
this fire all summer,
Dodge said.
Authorities are also
keeping an eye on another
small fire north of Butte,
dubbed the Wire Fire,
sparked, apparently, by a
downed power line. Fire
fighters are bracing for
thunderstorms and strong
winds predicted for the
area.
As the Fourth of
July approaches, here in
Missoula, the city is
launching its annual,
‘This Isn’t Rocket
Science,’ campaign to
promote a safe holiday.
As part of the campaign, a
hotline is now open to
report illegal fireworks
within city limits. To
make a fireworks complaint
call: 258-4850
Heat, more wind
forecast as crews
tackle wildfire that
killed 3 in
northeast Utah
The Associated
Press
Published: June
30, 2007
NEOLA,
Utah: A
federal
firefighting team
took over
direction of
efforts Sunday to
halt a fast-moving
wildfire that had
killed three
people and charred
about 35 square
miles (90 square
kilometers) in
northeastern Utah.
The fire
started Friday
morning north of
Neola, about 100
miles (160
kilometers) east
of Salt Lake City,
and by Sunday
morning crews had
it about 5 percent
contained. The
cause had not been
determined.
The small
communities of
Whiterocks, Farm
Creek and Tridell
were evacuated
Saturday, but some
residents in
Tridell had been
allowed to return.
Edson Gardner,
of Fort Duchesne,
went to Farm Creek
to evacuate his
mother, whose home
was burned to the
ground.
"It came down
the canyon like a
herd of horses,"
he said Saturday.
"The sheriff told
us we had five
minutes to get
out."
Uintah County
Sheriff Jeff
Merrell said
buildings had been
destroyed but he
did not have a
count.
A U.S. Forest
Service command
team that travels
the country
fighting the
largest fires
joined local crews
Sunday and took
over direction of
the firefighting
efforts.
Eleven-year-old
Duane Houston
escaped the fire
but his father,
43-year-old Tracy
Houston, and his
grandfather,
63-year-old George
Houston, were
killed by the
flames Friday as
they worked in a
hay field,
authorities said.
The owner of the
field, 75-year-old
Roger Roberson,
died at a
hospital,
officials said
Saturday.
The Houstons
had gone to buy
hay from Roberson,
and were helping
him move
irrigation
sprayers on his
field in an
attempt to block
the flames.
Duane said he
was told to run
for their truck as
flames and smoke
filled the air.
"I ran and
couldn't find the
truck, so I kept
running through
trees, climbed two
fences and
followed the
road," he told The
Salt Lake Tribune.
He was treated
at a hospital and
released.
Utah Gov. Jon
Huntsman requested
aid from the
Federal Emergency
Management Agency.
"We can't
remember when
civilians were
killed in a fire,"
Huntsman said
Saturday. "It's
about as
frightening a
sight as I've ever
seen."
In California,
evacuees returned
to their
burned-out streets
Saturday south of
Lake Tahoe, where
a wildfire had
destroyed more
than 200 homes and
charred 3,100
acres (1,255
hectares) ,
displacing about
3,500 people.
Investigators said
the blaze was
started by an
illegal campfire
and was 85 percent
contained.
Fire crews
north of Los
Angeles had a
19-square-mile
(49-square-kilometer)
blaze 80 percent
contained, state
fire department
spokesman Rick
Espino said
Saturday. Four
crew members had
been injured
battling the blaze
that destroyed 12
homes and six
buildings since it
broke out a week
ago in steep
canyons south of
the San Joaquin
Valley, officials
said.
In Montana, a
nearly
6-square-mile
(15.5-square-kilometer)
blaze near
Yellowstone
National Park was
60 percent
contained
Saturday,
officials said.
Evacuation orders
remained in effect
for 45 to 50
summer homes.
(AP) A wildfire rages behind the Griffith Observatory in
Griffith Park north of downtown Los Angeles on...
