When Sonny Tapia first went into the forest after the Wallow Fire, the devastation brought tears to his eyes. The lifelong resident of eastern Arizona feels as comfortable in the surrounding wilderness as he does in his living room. "Seeing the places I grew up camping as a kid, the beauty was just gone," he said. But Tapia is quick to look for the silver lining, predicting a surge in trophy deer and elk in the region. "One thing positive to come out of it is going to be the excellent … [Read more...] about Hunting in the Aftermath of the State’s Largest Wildfire
Wallow
Measuring the Economic Impact of Catastrophic Wildfire
As many residents east of Flagstaff remain worried about flooding below the Schultz Fire burn area, they are joined by many other residents statewide who are waiting to determine what life will be like after the big one. In eastern Arizona, the Wallow Fire burned more than 500,000 acres. The short and long term impacts will ripple through local and statewide economies well after the last ember is out. Looking back at past fires in Arizona and New Mexico might help some people gauge Wallow’s … [Read more...] about Measuring the Economic Impact of Catastrophic Wildfire
Largest Firefighting Deployment in AZ History
While Arizona firefighters from multiple agencies responded to major wildland fires, such as the Wallow, Horseshoe 2 and Monument blazes, the Arizona State Forestry Division provided valuable support to mobilize more than 100 responding fire departments from cities, rural fire districts, and volunteer fire organizations. Additionally, the Division also dispatched several private fire service companies. “This is the largest deployment of local fire department resources … [Read more...] about Largest Firefighting Deployment in AZ History
Wallow Firefighting Progress and Flood Preparation
Firefighting officials say the Wallow Fire in Eastern Arizona is 18% contained this afternoon, after consuming 469,407 acres. 36 structures have been lost, with 2,714 threatened. As crews work to prevent spread of the fire into New Mexico, 4,734 personnel remain fighting the fire. Some roads remain closed, but the Arizona Department of Transportation has reopened State Route 260 this afternoon between the Hawley Lake turnoff and the South Fork junction. Additional information is available at … [Read more...] about Wallow Firefighting Progress and Flood Preparation
Motorists Urged to Prevent Wildfires
As the Wallow Fire continues to burn out of control, already consuming 389,000 acres, state authorities are urging people to use extra caution. With humidity levels in the single digits, many areas of the state face extreme fire danger. In addition to the Wallow Fire, and Flagstaff's Hill Fire which is contained, the Horseshow Two and Murphy fires are continuing to burn today. The Arizona Department of Transportation urges drivers to be extra careful when operating their vehicles. Dry, … [Read more...] about Motorists Urged to Prevent Wildfires
State of Emergency–AZ’s Wallow Fire Updates
Governor Jan Brewer today signed a Declaration of Emergency in response to the wildfires raging in Apache and Greenlee Counties. This declaration releases $200,000 from the Governor’s Emergency Funds (via the State General Fund) to pay for emergency responses and recovery expenses for damage resulting from the fires. The funding will support costs not covered by the federal fire management assistance grant, as well as recovery efforts following suppression of the fire. The Governor's … [Read more...] about State of Emergency–AZ’s Wallow Fire Updates
