Thanks Gale. I worked in the command post on the radios (my usual) for
the initial evac (read: chaos, but we are getting pretty good at
handling that!) from about 8 pm until I was relieved at 2:30 am (had
to get some sleep so I could play in my praise band at church). About
half (?) of Walker was evac'd, and we really lucked out in this one.
Had it been started earlier in the day, we probably would have lost
Walker, Spruce Mtn, possibly Potato Patch (a housing area south up the
canyon, near Senator Hwy) and if the winds were unfavorable, we'd be
evac'ing and defending Groom Creek (south of Prescott in the
mountains)....and on into Prescott....

I didn't "work" today (it's all volunteer but we still say we "worked
the fire") as they had coverage, but I will work Monday noon-6pm when
they anticipate closing down the operation. All we are doing now is
maintaining roadblock and security patrols in conjunction with the
Sheriff office. Any evac'd area must be secured for several reasons,
including burglary, looky-loos, etc.

Tonight at 8 pm they plan to allow folks back into their homes. Not
sure if any homes lost, altho' at 2045 last night, I had communication
with Sheriff dispatch and relayed a message that they had a person on
the phone who lived on Pine Mtn Rd (fire area) who said their house
was on fire. Apparently the smoke was so black from the dead beetle
trees, and the fire going up the east face of Spruce Mtn, they didn't
know if a structure was gone or not until they could get in there
today. Scary.

Nothing (yet) on the tragic scale of Mt. Lemmon, but the potential is
still there until the monsoons start (if it rains!)

Human caused, and is being investigated HEAVILY. It started in the
"backyard" (canyon) of a private home. Steep terrain. One of our
forest patrols was one of the first to see the fire (it's funny, I had
just done the same fire patrol area that morning from 0730 to 1230).
The evening patrol said they came into Walker and said .... HEY,
there's a fire! But we think it had already been called in at that
point.

Thanks for thinking of me, Gale!

Take care all and stay safe,
Trisha "Lightning"
Prescott



On Sun, 6 Jul 2003 02:10:57 -0700 (PDT), Gale Draper wrote:

Well I see there's a new wildfire in our state near the town of Walker
in the Prescott Nat'l Forest. It's human caused. Evacuations were
ordered. Our sympathies Trisha. I'm sure you'll be busy for
awhile.Till a voice, as bad as Conscience, rang interminable changes 
On one everlasting Whisper day and night repeated -- so:"Something
hidden.  Go and find it. Go and look behind the Ranges --  "Something
lost behind the Ranges. Lost and waiting for you. Go!"

 

Rudyard Kipling ,   The Explorer  1898
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