I have been silent lately due to college finals. But yesterday afternoon we had a bit of a scare when fire erupted from nearby Hunter Canyon. The gusty winds blew the smell of ash and smoke our way. We were soon driving toward the fires, parked our truck along the highway, and watched the state and local firefighting planes put out the 10-acre fire. Kudos to all who helped out, as homes were nearby.
We chatted with some other rubberneckers parked along the highway. Some boys were sitting on top of a large pick-up with binoculars and yelling out the latest observation through their lenses.
"There's a new fire up there, look Dad!"
The smoke was at times so dense and we couldn't see any detail, but hot spots flared up and lasted through the night. Gusts were up to 30mph. Temperatures were 94F at 5pm yesterday with 10 percent humidity. A perfect day for a wildfire to break out. There are two other fires currently active in Arizona. One is near Flagstaff and the other near Portal, close to the New Mexican border.
Like one onlooker told me yesterday, "We just had snow up there two weeks ago!" Yes, but the heat of the last week has dried everything up again.
I could see seven hot spots still glowing in the evening when I walked the dogs. Winds were calm and that helped us.
We were lucky this time. Winds had calmed down. But perhaps next time we won't be quite so lucky. We have no doubt that the fires were deliberately set, as the fires were along a steep ridge known to be used by illegals coming from the Crest Trail. I wouldn't be surprised if Mexicans set this fire deliberately, in retaliation to Arizona's current controversial immigration laws of having everyone verify one's residency.
http://www.svherald.com/content/news/2010/05/08/hunter-canyon-charred-flames-view-more-40-photos
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