The Brown Fire

Sunday Kevin and I went to Tombstone with some shelter volunteers to watch the Pet Parade. It wasn't as big as in previous years; less than 20 people showed up. We had more fun eating at the OK Cafe (where the food truly was just OK!), and finished off with a quick visit to Carol's house on the east side of town. Her home truly is a pet sanctuary. She has many unadoptable pets that have flourished in a loving home. Her dogs stay in the back of the house, the cats in the front of the house, and the doors to every room are kept closed. All animals come in at night.

Kevin was looking rather grumpy by the time we left Carol's place at 3pm. He hadn't had alcohol yet and I could tell that is what he wanted. So we stopped in Bisbee to have a beer at the Old Bisbee Brewing Company, and made another stop at the newer Beast Brewing on the west side of town. The owner, Jim, hails from Massachusetts so that gave Kevin something to talk about. By now he had had a few beers. I only had two as I was driving.

As we left town for the drive home, we saw smoke pluming over the Huachucas. "Oh shit!" I said, and as soon as we got home at 5:30pm I checked for an update. It started shortly after noon in the upper Sheelite/Brown and Ramsey canyon areas and appears to be human caused. Five acres at first, and the first email from Cochise County Board of Supervisors Pat Call said this isn't a fire to get "excited" about.

But then that fire grew to 296 acres in 30 hours, and today it's up to 366 acres with zero containment. Brown and Ramsey canyons are closed and the first pre-evacation orders were given today to 150 people in Ramsey canyon. Those homes are old homesteads, but Ramsey canyon is a narrow canyon, and an intense fire could blow pressue down into the valley. I feel for those people with livestock.

I hope the entire forest isn't closed off now. I still need to hike up Carr Peak for the month! I continue to take the dogs up Hunter Canyon for a mile or so of romping around. The dogs seem to enjoy this. Right now I am not worried about the fire spreading toward our area again. But any evacuation would mean nervous animals on the loose, abandoned pets, injured and killed wildlife.

The Brown Fire right now is the #1 priority fire now in the country. While most of the fire is in remote military installation area, all it would take for it to spread would be strong, erratic winds like we had three years ago. I don't see fire along any ridgeline yet. We're too far south for it right now. Our prevailing winds are from the southwest, so the fire would move away from us.